The Colorado Avalanche are staring at a real waiver crunch, and it’s not hard to see why. Per a list from PuckPedia, more than 100 players around the league will have to clear waivers for the first time in their careers this season, and Colorado has six of them in that group.
That creates a simple problem: the Avalanche don’t have room to carry all six on the active roster. With a deep lineup already in place, a couple of these players could end up exposed to the waiver wire when camp decisions start getting real.
One name on the list is Zakhar Bardakov, though his situation is a little different from the others. He’s not expected to play in the NHL this season after falling out of the lineup following 60 total games at the NHL level and signing with SKA St.
Petersburg this summer. If he ever comes back to North America, the Avalanche would still hold his rights.
And if Colorado wants to send him to the AHL, he’d need to clear waivers.
Domenick Fensore is in a much more straightforward camp battle. The former third-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes has just three NHL games on his résumé, and he looks lined up for the Colorado Eagles this season.
Colorado signed him as a UFA after Carolina didn’t give him a qualifying offer this summer. On a one-year deal, he gets one shot to make his mark.
The 5’9” 174-pound defenseman did put up 10 goals and 35 points in 60 games with the Chicago Wolves last season, and while he’ll be in camp, it’s hard to see him pushing for the NHL roster. When he’s eventually sent down, he’s very likely to clear.
Then there’s Zachary L’Heureux, who seems far more secure. He should make the team as a fourth-liner, and unless camp goes badly, he looks like a lock.
The catch is that if Colorado ever wanted to assign him to the minors, he probably wouldn’t get through waivers. So if the Avalanche are keeping him, the decision likely has to be made at the NHL level.
Fedor Svechkov falls into a similar category. He’s not the kind of player the Avalanche are expected to casually expose to waivers.
It would take a dark horse having an unusually strong camp and Svechkov struggling badly to even put him in that conversation. If Colorado didn’t want him for some reason, a trade would make more sense than losing the 23-year-old for nothing.
Tristen Nielsen looks like a more familiar camp body, the type who helps the Colorado Eagles and gives the organization dependable depth. He’ll be in camp this fall, but making the main roster feels like a long shot. He could sneak in as the 13th forward, but he’s probably headed to the AHL and should clear unless he turns heads and another team suddenly needs help.
Fabian Lysell is the most interesting name of the bunch. As a former first-round pick trying to carve out a real NHL role, he’s the kind of player other teams would absolutely look at.
It’s hard to imagine him clearing waivers. Rebuilding clubs like the San Jose Sharks or the Vancouver Canucks could have real use for him, especially if they can give him a regular lineup spot.
Right now, the best path might be for Lysell to make the team as the 13th forward, unless L’Heureux somehow falls out of favor.
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