The Colorado Avalanche may already have a nice-looking draft find on their hands.
Forward Egor Shilov, taken 43rd overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, has wasted little time turning heads with the Victoriaville Tigres in the QMJHL. Through 12 games, the left-shot center has piled up six goals and 11 assists, and he added to that line Saturday against the Newfoundland Regiment with two goals and an assist.
One of those goals stood out in particular because of how much room Shilov had to work with. The setup left him sitting wide open, and the play created enough separation that it almost looked like a power-play look even though it wasn’t. It was the kind of clean finish that hints at why Colorado targeted him in the first place.
The power play may be a big part of the long-term appeal here. Colorado could be looking at a player who eventually adds depth to its first unit, and that kind of help becomes more valuable as the years pass. If Shilov develops the way the Avalanche hope, he could arrive when Brett McLean has already built a strong power-play group for the future.
There’s already some buzz around him inside the organization’s prospect picture, too. MileHighHockey ranked Shilov 12th in its Top 25 in August, and that placement only adds to the sense that Avalanche fans have reason to keep an eye on him. Even if Colorado’s prospect group isn’t overflowing with obvious blue-chip names, Shilov looks like one worth watching.
His eventual path to the NHL is still wide open. By the time he is ready, Brock Nelson could be close to retirement, which would open up a need down the middle for Colorado. If Shilov needs more time after that, the AHL and the Colorado Eagles would be a possible stop along the way.
It’s also possible he gets to Denver earlier than expected. The modern NHL has made room for young players to jump in sooner, and the Avalanche have already done that with prospects like Calum Ritchie and Nikita Prishchepov. If Shilov keeps producing, he could eventually catch Jared Bednar’s eye and work his way onto the roster.
For now, though, the early returns are strong. Shilov is giving Colorado exactly what a prospect should give at this stage: signs that the future might be coming together faster than expected.
In Other News...
Avalanche Rookie Is Giving MacKinnon A Real Reason For Optimism
T.J. Hughes keeps turning the kind of small, earned progress that coaches love into something the Avalanche can actually feel on the ice. In the win over Tampa Bay, the rookie showed a clear step forward in his play, and it fit neatly with what Jared Bednar and Nathan MacKinnon have been saying about him for a while: the work ethic is there, the hockey IQ is there, and hes starting to translate what he hears in team meetings into real-game decisions.
For Colorado, that matters because Hughes is no longer just a promising young player taking up space in the lineup. His development has become part of the bigger picture, especially with the way he handled himself in a 6-3 victory against a strong opponent. The Avalanche do not need him to be finished product overnight, but they do need signs that the learning curve is bending the right way, and Hughes has given them a reason to believe it is. [Read more 🡒]
Former Av Ross Colton Is Back In A Situation Colorado Should Watch
Ross Colton has surfaced again as a name worth tracking for the Avalanche, even if he is now doing it from across the Central Division with Nashville. The Athletic recently pointed to the former Colorado forward as an under-the-radar trade candidate because of his team-friendly cap hit and the kind of playoff experience contenders tend to value when the market starts to move.
He is in the final season of a four-year deal with a $4 million cap hit, and his production has been modest so far with the Predators. Colorado does not have an obvious trade chip of its own at the moment, but the looming contract situations for pending unrestricted free agents Artturi Lehkonen and Nicolas Roy could eventually shape how aggressively the Avalanche choose to shop for help. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Fans Have A New Reason To Watch Toronto Closely
The Maple Leafs have become a team worth watching for Avalanche fans not just because of their own roster needs, but because of the draft capital and prospects tied up in Colorados future. Toronto is reportedly willing to move a premium asset in pursuit of an impact defenseman, and one of the pieces in play is the Avalanches 2027 first-round pick, a reminder of how closely these kinds of trade talks can reach back into another clubs plans.
There is also a potential ripple effect beyond Toronto, with Nashville having already spoken to teams about Brady Skjei, a defenseman with a hefty contract and no trade protection. If the Predators keep engaging the market, and if the Leafs keep pushing for help on the blue line, Colorado fans could end up monitoring not just who gets moved, but which assets and prospects are attached to the deal. [Read more 🡒]