Ilya Nabokov has quietly become one of the most important names in the Avalanche system, and that says plenty about where Colorado stands in goal.
The Avalanche don’t have a deep prospect pipeline, but they do have a few players who could matter in a big way if they hit. Nabokov fits that description. At the moment, Colorado’s goaltending future looks pretty thin, with Nabokov standing as the clearest NHL-caliber prospect in the organization depending on how you view Trent Miner.
Miner has already shown he can handle the AHL level as a starting goalie, but he still hasn’t gotten a real shot to prove himself in the NHL. If Miner eventually settles in as at least a tandem option, then Colorado would suddenly have two useful goaltending prospects to work with. Without Nabokov, though, the picture gets a lot shakier, because the Avalanche would be left with just one NHL-caliber goaltending prospect in the entire system.
The team doesn’t need either Miner or Nabokov to seize the crease this season. Still, the long view is starting to matter. Sooner or later, Colorado is going to need one of them to handle at least the backup role.
Right now, Nabokov is being lined up as the Avalanche’s starter of the future. The 23-year-old could eventually move into the top job even if MacKenzie Blackwood stays under contract. Blackwood has three more seasons after this one, but that doesn’t mean Nabokov would be stuck waiting until 2030 for a chance.
There’s a path for him to matter as soon as next season. Scott Wedgewood will be a free agent next summer, and if Miner or Nabokov looks ready, the Avalanche could decide not to bring Wedgewood back.
That’s where Nabokov’s importance really shows up. If he proves he can handle the NHL, Colorado may feel comfortable letting Wedgewood walk.
If not, the Avalanche will have to keep searching for the next answer in net. That could mean a trade or another run at goaltending prospects.
For now, Colorado has already stocked up on a few tickets in this race. Miner, Nabokov, and Nikita Novosyolov are all part of the plan. If even one of them becomes a real NHL goalie, it gives the Avalanche time to sort out the rest.
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Devon Toews Just Had A Very Colorado Sports Moment
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For Makar to get there, the season would have to be extraordinary in every phase, with offense and defense both strong enough to make him impossible to ignore. Even then, the Hart Trophy is a voter-driven race, and he would still have to separate himself from names like Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon, which is what makes the possibility so intriguing and so difficult to pull off. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Leave Jared Bednar Question Unsettled Entering Key Offseason
Jared Bednars contract situation has become one of the quieter storylines around the Avalanche as the offseason gets underway, but it carries real weight for a team that has spent the better part of a decade under his direction. Joe Sakic said there is no urgency to get an extension done, even as the sides continue talking, and that reflects a certain calm around a coach who has been on the bench since 2016 and helped guide Colorado to a Stanley Cup title in 2022.
Bednar is heading into the final year of his current deal, which would normally add a little more edge to the conversation, but both sides seem content to let the process breathe. For now, the Avalanche are leaving one of their most important decisions unresolved as they turn toward a crucial offseason, with the expectation that discussions will keep going without anyone forcing the issue. [Read more 🡒]