The NHL’s qualifying-offer deadline has already pushed a new batch of restricted free agents into the open market, and the Colorado Avalanche now have a few fresh names to examine. The league deadline passed at 5 p.m. EST on June 29, and the Avalanche’s only player who did not receive a qualifying offer was Daniil Gushchin.
With Colorado looking for affordable ways to round out the roster and patch a few gaps, three forwards stand out as possible fits: Matias Maccelli, Philipp Kurashev and Arthur Kaliyev. None of them looks like a splashy addition, but that’s not really the point. The Avs need value, youth and players who can help without forcing the team to spend big.
Maccelli might be the cleanest fit of the group. He could help offset the departures of Ross Colton and Valeri Nichushkin on the wing, and his track record shows real offensive upside.
His peak came in 2023-24 with the Arizona Coyotes, when he posted career bests in goals (17), assists (40) and points (57). His production dipped hard the following season in Utah, where he finished with 18 points, before he was traded to Toronto last offseason.
He then bounced back some on a rough Maple Leafs team, finishing with 14 goals, 25 assists and 39 points. In Colorado’s middle six, he’d have the kind of playmakers around him that could help him produce more.
Kurashev offers a similar profile, though with a little more risk attached. He’s spent his career around rebuilding situations with the Chicago Blackhawks and the San Jose Sharks last season, and his best year also came in 2023-24, when he put up 18 goals, 36 assists and 54 points.
The next season brought a sharp drop-off. He also comes with some injury history, which makes him a tougher bet than Maccelli.
Still, he’s more of a passer than a finisher, and that lines up with the kind of high-IQ players Joe Sakic is targeting.
Kaliyev is the wild card, and maybe the most intriguing one. He was not expected to hit the market, especially after leading the AHL in goals for the 2025-26 season, but the Ottawa Senators still declined to give him a qualifying offer.
He brings the kind of pure scoring touch the Avalanche could use, though his defensive play remains the obvious concern. That said, this is exactly the sort of low-cost swing that makes sense if Colorado wants to see whether it can unlock more of his game.
A league-minimum deal would be the path here.
There are plenty of ways for the Avalanche to shape the roster from here, but these three forwards give the front office options worth serious consideration.
In Other News...
Avalanche Still Have Obvious Roster Holes And One Free Agent Idea Stands Out
The Avalanches offseason work is not finished yet, and Joe Sakic made that plain when he said the team still wants to add two forwards and a defenseman to round out the roster. That leaves Colorado shopping in a familiar summer lane: looking for players who can slot into the middle of the lineup, shore up the depth group, and give the back end a little more insurance.
Among the names floated as possibilities, Vladimir Tarasenko stands out as the kind of forward who could change the look of Colorados attack, while Patrik Laine brings a different layer of intrigue to the middle-six conversation. There are also more practical depth options in Colton Sissons and Tanner Pearson, plus blue-line candidates such as Mike Reilly and Dylan Coghlan, but the bigger question for the Avalanche is whether they can find the right mix of fit and value without leaving a clear hole behind. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Fans Wont Love Where Cale Makar Talks Stand Right Now
The Cale Makar contract conversation is still sitting in the early stages, which is not exactly the kind of offseason update Avalanche fans were hoping to hear. According to Pierre LeBrun, there has not been much serious extension work yet, and any real talks are expected to pick up later in the summer, even though Makar has just one year left on his current deal.
For Colorado, the timing matters because Makar is the franchise cornerstone and one of the leagues best players, but the Avalanche also have to navigate a tight financial picture. LeBrun has suggested the next contract could lean short-term, and for now the bigger immediate focus is Makars health and continued medical treatment, with the business side of the deal still waiting in the wings. [Read more 🡒]