Nick Blankenburg is getting another crack at making an NHL impression, this time with an Original Six team that could use some blue-line help.
The former Avalanche defenseman has signed a professional tryout contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to the report first filed by The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont. For Colorado fans who watched him carve out a role late last season, the destination may sting a little. But the opportunity is real, and so is the fit.
Toronto’s interest appears tied directly to Chris Tanev’s recovery timeline. The veteran defenseman had surgery in March and has not yet been cleared, leaving his status for training camp unresolved. The Leafs, with new GM John Chayka, are viewing Blankenburg as “small, but mobile” insurance while Tanev works his way back.
Blankenburg’s path to this point has been anything but ordinary. Colorado acquired him in March in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick, and he needed time to settle in.
Early on, his game was a little too reckless, with his aggressiveness occasionally pulling him out of position. By the end of the season, though, he had started to find the edge without losing the balance.
He scored in back-to-back opportunities and then delivered the moment that defined his Avalanche stint: a backdoor finish off a Valeri Nichushkin feed in Colorado’s Game 1 rout of Minnesota, while his parents watched from the stands.
Nathan MacKinnon and Jared Bednar both took notice of the way Blankenburg competed and jumped into the offense, even if Bednar kept pushing for better judgment on when to join the rush and when to stay back.
That kind of upside clearly left an impression in Toronto. The Maple Leafs are currently at the league’s 50-contract limit, so turning this PTO into a standard deal would likely require some roster maneuvering first, whether through a trade or by sending a prospect overseas.
For now, Blankenburg is simply in camp on a tryout. Given the way recent Leafs PTOs have gone, though, that may only be the beginning.
In Other News...
Avalanche Still Face One Big Dmitry Gulyayev Question
Dmitry Gulyayev remains one of the more intriguing names in the Avalanche pipeline, even if his path to North America has stayed on a longer timeline than Colorado would have preferred. The defenseman still has an eye on the NHL, but for now he is approaching the move season by season after spending last year in the KHL.
Colorado had a route lined up that would have kept that transition on schedule, but the deal never came together. Gulyayev instead stayed put with Avangard Omsk on a two-year extension, leaving the Avalanche to wait and monitor whether his eventual arrival can still fit into their long-term plans. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Suddenly Have A Real Ilya Nabokov Goalie Dilemma
Ilya Nabokov is already sounding like a goalie who expects to push for NHL work, even before he has logged an AHL game. For Colorado, that confidence adds another layer to a crease that already looks crowded, with Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood both shaping up as starting-caliber options heading into the season.
The wrinkle is that Nabokov may not get a straight line to the NHL right away, and the Avalanche have reason to be patient with his development. A stint in the AHL could be the opening move, but the path back up could open quickly if the depth chart shifts, whether because of an injury or a move that changes Colorados cap picture. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Fans Finally Get An Early Look At Key Young Names
Before the prospect group heads to San Jose for the Rookie Faceoff, the Avalanche gave fans an early chance to see several of the organizations key young names on the ice together. Colorados group practiced before the trip, with the slate set to include matchups against the Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights, and the roster features goaltenders Ilya Nabokov and Nikita Novosyolov along with skater T.J. Hughes, who recently signed with the Colorado Eagles.
For a development staff that wants these events to matter beyond the scoreboard, the weekend is as much about preparation and evaluation as it is about results. Avalanche director of player development Brian Willsie and the players talked about getting ready for the event and the excitement around it, giving a first real glimpse of how this crop is beginning to come together before the competition in California ramps up. [Read more 🡒]