The Colorado Avalanche may have come out of this past weekend’s rookie tournament with more than just a good feeling. They may also have a couple of real roster headaches on their hands.
TJ Hughes and Taylor Makar both turned in strong showings, and the two forwards spent Saturday on Colorado’s top line in a 7-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks prospect squad. Alongside Beckett Hamilton, they formed a group that clearly caught attention as main camp nears.
Hamilton, as noted before, is still a longer-term project. The 18-year-old is viewed as someone who remains a couple of years away from becoming a major contributor. Hughes and Makar, though, are a different story.
Hughes, the top NCAA free agent, picked Colorado last spring over roughly half a dozen other teams interested in signing him. And based on what he showed over the weekend, there’s a growing sense that he’ll suit up for the Avalanche at some point this season.
PuckPedia reported comments from Denver Gazette’s Ewan Rawal saying Hughes should make his debut this year, and after this weekend, that view is easy to understand. The only real question is timing.
Makar already has some NHL mileage, though not much. The 24-year-old has appeared in 12 games and still has no points to his name, while averaging fewer than seven minutes of ice time per contest.
Even so, his size could make him a useful option if Colorado wants to push out a more one-dimensional forward such as Zachary L’Heureux. If there’s a surprise on the roster front, Makar could be the one who lands a spot on the fourth line right out of camp.
If Hughes and Makar do force their way into the mix, the Avalanche could also end up with a couple of useful trade chips down the road.
That doesn’t mean Hughes or Makar themselves are on the block. The more relevant names are L’Heureux and Fedor Svechkov, the two former Nashville Predators forwards acquired in the Jack Drury deal. If they wind up behind Hughes and Makar on the depth chart, Colorado could have pieces it can move later this season.
That could mean dealing them for draft picks or prospects, then using those assets for help at the deadline. It’s early for that kind of planning, though, and the most likely outcome is that Hughes and Makar begin the year in the AHL since both are waivers-exempt.
Still, it may not take long before they’re pushing for NHL jobs. Cap management could end up deciding whether they stay down, but neither player would be a surprise addition to the Avalanche’s roster picture this fall. If they keep forcing the issue, even some unexpected names could end up on waivers.
In Other News...
Avalanche Rookie Weekend Put A Few Unexpected Names On The Radar
The Avalanches rookie weekend offered the usual first look at the organizations next wave, with a practice session leading into two games at the rookie tournament. Colorado handled Anaheim 7-2 in the opener before dropping the second game to Vegas 6-5 in a shootout, giving the staff a quick early read on who looked comfortable in a fast, competitive setting.
A few names stood out along the way, including Teddy Lechner, Alex Gagne and Beckett Hamilton, each of them making enough of an impression to land on the radar coming out of the weekend. For an Avalanche system that always has to balance immediate depth needs with longer-term development, these are the kinds of early showings that can matter when training camp starts to tighten the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Add A Proven Winner To A Roster Still Facing Questions
Jaden Schwartz brings a championship pedigree and a familiar touch of Colorado to a roster that still has plenty to prove. The former St. Louis Blues forward, who won the Stanley Cup in 2019, has signed a three-year contract with the Avalanche, adding another experienced piece to a team that keeps pushing for another deep playoff run. His connection to the state goes back to his college career, which gives this move a little more weight than a typical offseason addition.
Schwartz is now getting ready to join the group and work his way into the lineup, a process that will matter as much as the contract itself. Colorado has talent, but it also has questions, and bringing in a player who has already lived through the grind of a championship run gives the Avalanche another voice in the room as they chase the same goal again. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Just Ended A Huge Summer Question In Their Front Office
The Avalanche have settled one of their biggest summer questions by making Joe Sakic their full-time general manager, ending any thought of a broader search for the job. Sakic had been handling the role on an interim basis earlier in the summer, and the move gives Colorado a clear sense of direction heading into the new season.
For an organization that values stability at the top, the decision also avoids a potentially disruptive transition at a time when the roster is trying to keep pushing forward. Colorado believes Sakic helped steady things behind the scenes, and now the attention shifts to how that continuity carries into what the team hopes will be a strong upcoming season. [Read more 🡒]