Anton Blidh’s path has taken another sharp turn, and it could send him right back where he was thriving after leaving Colorado.
The New York Rangers placed the former Avalanche forward on waivers Friday, opening the door for a return to the AHL if he clears. If no team claims him, he is expected to report to the Hartford Wolfpack.
Blidh’s Avalanche stint began when he signed with Colorado as a free agent in August 2022 on a one-year, two-way deal after the previous seasons with the Boston Bruins. He made enough of an impression in training camp and the preseason to crack the Avalanche’s opening-night roster for 2022-23.
That season never settled into a steady rhythm for him. After opening as a healthy scratch, Blidh was sent to the Colorado Eagles to start the year. He was recalled soon after and made his NHL debut on Oct. 19, 2022, against the Winnipeg Jets.
He finished with no points in 14 games for Colorado before heading back to the Eagles, where he spent most of the 2022-23 season.
His run with the Avalanche ended at the trade deadline. On March 3, 2023, Colorado sent Blidh to the Rangers in exchange for Swedish forward Gustav Rydahl.
That move gave him a bigger role in Hartford, and he made the most of it. Blidh scored seven goals and 11 points in 17 regular-season games with the Wolf Pack after the trade, then added seven points in nine playoff games to finish third on the team in postseason scoring.
In Other News...
T.J. Hughes Just Made Colorados Final Roster Call Much Harder
T.J. Hughes gave the Avalanche one more thing to think about in their preseason win over the Winnipeg Jets, piling up a hat trick and an assist in a performance that was hard to ignore. Jared Bednar even spent part of the game testing Hughes at center before moving him back to the wing, a small lineup wrinkle that said plenty about how Colorado is still sorting out the edges of its roster ahead of opening night.
For a team trying to settle on the right mix, Hughes night only made the competition tighter. Hes in the group battling for a spot, and a showing like this does not make the decision any easier for the coaching staff as the Avalanche weigh who fits best when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Trade Buzz Around Dylan Larkin Just Got More Real
Trade chatter around Dylan Larkin has taken on a little more weight around the Avalanche, with Elliotte Friedman reporting that the Red Wings center has expanded his list of preferred destinations to include Colorado. It is the kind of development that instantly gets attention in this market, where the Avs are always weighing whether there is another high-end piece out there who can fit their pace, their core and their championship timeline.
Colorado is also still sorting through its own early roster picture after its third preseason game, when T.J. Hughes made a loud case for himself with a hat trick and four points while battling for a spot. The Avalanche are in that familiar position of trying to balance present-day ambition with roster decisions at the margin, and any serious talk about a player of Larkins caliber only adds another layer to what could become one of the more closely watched storylines in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Are Betting On Zachary L'Heureux's Edge For The Playoffs
The Avalanche did not bring in Zachary L'Heureux for subtlety. They saw a forward who can hit, hunt pucks and make life miserable on the forecheck, the kind of edge that can matter when the games tighten up in the playoffs and the stars need a little more room to work.
The bet, of course, is that his aggression can be harnessed rather than repeated history getting in the way. Colorado is looking for him to grow into a steady NHL role, one that brings reliable effort at both ends and gives the lineup some useful muscle, but the challenge is turning that physical style into an asset the Avalanche can count on when the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]