The Colorado Avalanche’s Top 25 Under 25 list had enough depth this year to leave some notable names just outside the main countdown, and the honorable mentions reflect that spread across the roster. With seven writers weighing in on players in the organization as of September 1, 2026, the cut line got tight enough that a forward, a defenseman and a goaltender all missed the top 25 by a sliver.
Nolan Roed came closest. The former seventh-round pick from the 2025 draft finished one point shy of making the list after landing at No. 21 a year ago.
His freshman season at St. Cloud State was a solid one: 18 points and five goals in 36 games.
He came out flying and earned NCHC rookie of the week honors in late October, though his scoring pace dipped once conference play settled in after the new year. Even so, Roed still offers the kind of package Colorado tends to value in its forwards - some scoring touch, a willingness to get to the front of the net and a little edge to his game.
At 20, he still has plenty of runway left in college before the Avalanche have to decide whether he’s worth a future contract.
On the blue line, Saige Weinstien’s path has been more complicated. The left-shot defenseman was one of the uncommon rookie camp invitees who got a contract offer from the Avalanche after training camp in 2023, then spent the next two seasons finishing his junior career with Spokane in the WHL.
Last season was his first real taste of pro hockey, and most of it came with the Utah Grizzlies in the ECHL, where he played 30 games and recorded two assists. He also appeared in three AHL games with the Colorado Eagles and scored his first professional goal in January.
The 6-foot-1 defenseman, who is more known for his defensive game, also dealt with an ankle injury and didn’t see much action in the spring.
Weinstien had been ranked No. 17 a year ago, but he slipped off the list this time because of the influx of new names in the system and because his NHL path with Colorado remains unclear. That uncertainty makes this a big year for him, one where a strong showing in the AHL could put him back in the conversation.
The newcomer among the honorable mentions is goaltender Tobias Tvrznik, one of the Avalanche’s latest additions in net. Colorado took him 126th overall in the fourth round of the 2026 draft, doing so in his second year of eligibility after he spent a season with the Wenatchee Wild in the WHL.
The 6-foot-4 goalie posted a 16-18-4 record with a 3.10 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage on a struggling team, numbers that helped him catch Colorado’s attention. Tvrznik had previously played in Czechia junior leagues, where he didn’t get enough exposure, but he was ranked eighth among North American goaltenders and invited to the NHL draft combine in 2026.
At 19, and with the Avalanche having added plenty of goaltending talent lately, his next step is worth watching.
Beyond those three, the organization still had seven other players worthy of mention: defensemen Gustav Stjernberg, Cole Tuminaro, Nikita Ishimnikov, Ondrej Ruml and Chris Romaine, goaltender Alexandre Raymond and forward Cooper Gay.
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