Checking in on the Colorado Avalanche’s 2024 NHL Draft Class

With the 2025 NHL Entry Draft just over a month away, here’s a look at the 2024 Colorado Avalanche draft class and how they did in their first season after being drafted. The Avalanche drafted nine players in 2024: they traded out of the first round, sending their pick to the (newly-named) Utah Mammoth, to add a second and a third-round pick, plus a 2025 second-round pick that was traded this season.

The Avalanche’s scouting department has done a solid job of finding talent in the later rounds of drafts, since the team has traded away many of their early-round picks for immediate help to win the Stanley Cup. Here’s a look at how the nine players who were drafted by Colorado last year performed this season.

Round 2, Pick: 38, Ilya Nabokov, G, Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)

Finishing his pre-draft season with a 23-13-3 record with a .930 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.15 goals-against average (GAA), Nabokov won the Rookie of the Year award while helping Metallurg Magnitogorsk win the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) championship. He was awarded Finals MVP with a 16-6-0 record, a .942 SV%, and a 1.82 GAA.

He finished this season with another solid record of 23-17-6, a .923 SV%, and a 2.22 GAA, helping his team to the playoffs. However, the Avangard Omsk and fellow Avalanche prospect Mikhail Gulyayev eliminated Metallurg in six games.

At 6-foot-1 and 179 pounds, the 23-year-old’s contract is up at the end of this month, and he will be eligible to sign his entry-level contract (ELC) this summer. The Avalanche goaltending situation is solid right now, with Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood under contract for next season. However, he will likely join the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Colorado Eagles when he arrives in North America.

Round 4, Pick: 121, Jake Fisher, C, University of Denver (NCAA)

Jake Fisher finished his pre-draft season in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Fargo Force, scoring 23 goals and 47 points in 51 games. He helped his team to the Clark Cup Final, scoring four goals and recording six points in the 12 games leading up to it. He made the jump to the NCAA this season, and his production dipped a bit, finishing with eight goals and 15 points in 42 games. But he helped the University of Denver reach the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four, before being eliminated by the future champions, Western Michigan, 3-2, in the semi-finals.

Round 5, Pick: 132, Louka Cloutier, G, Chicago Steel (USHL)

Louka Cloutier’s time with the Chicago Steel has not been impressive. He finished his pre-draft season with a record of 14-14-2, along with a .904 SV% and a 3.68 GAA. However, his performance dropped in 2024-25 to an 8-18-2 record, a .882 SV%, and a 4.05 GAA. The Steel finished with the second-worst record in the USHL, tallying a 20-36-5-1 record and 46 points, just ahead of the Omaha Lancers, who went 7-48-6-1 for 21 points.

Cloutier has committed to playing for Boston College in the NCAA next season, a major step in his career. Jacob Fowler, the top goaltender prospect for the Montreal Canadiens, was the starter, but he signed his ELC with them in April. Unless another top prospect or recruit signs with them, Cloutier could be in the top spot for the starting position.

Round 5, Pick: 137, Ivan Yunin, G, Omskie Krylia (VHL)

Ivan Yunin had a strong pre-draft season in the Russian U18 league with Yastreby Omsk, with a 16-2-0 record, a .952 SV%, and a 1.31 GAA. In his debut season in the Supreme Hockey League (VHL) with Omskie Krylia, he finished with a record of 3-6-0 in 16 games played, a .881 SV%, and a 3.18 GAA. He also played in the MHL with Omskie Yastreby, finishing with a 5-0-0 record in eight games, a .890 SV%, and a 2.38 GAA. He played in three playoff games, finishing with a 1-1-0 record with a .889 SV% and a 3.53 GAA.

At 19 years old, and with several goaltenders ahead of him on the depth chart, Yunin is a project for the future. Since he has only played games in the VHL and MHL, it might be some time before the Avalanche sign him, but hopefully, he will get time in the KHL to see if he can significantly improve his game.

Round 5, Pick: 161, Maxmilian Curran, C, Tri-City Americans (WHL)

Finishing his pre-draft season, Maxmilian Curran had a solid debut in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Tri-City Americans, with five goals and 32 points in 40 games. This season, he finished with 22 goals and 74 points in 65 games, leading his team in points, assists, and power-play assists. The Americans reached the playoffs but lost to the Victoria Royals in five games. Curran finished with one goal and two assists in that series.

Curran is a rising prospect within the Avalanche organization, especially as an 18-year-old. At 6-foot-3, 187 pounds, he has room to continue developing his skills and his game.

Round 6, Pick: 185, Tory Pitner, D, University of Denver (NCAA)

Pitner finished his pre-draft season with eight goals and 24 points in 50 games with the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL while serving as an alternate captain. With the University of Denver this season, he only recorded one assist in 40 games. However, given the abundance of offensive talent surrounding him, his primary role was not to generate scoring but to focus on his defensive skills.

He isn’t the biggest defenseman, 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, but he uses his body well. He possesses the ability to time pokes effectively to disrupt plays, understands optimal positioning at critical moments, and engages defenders along the boards while contesting for pucks. At 19 years old, the Avalanche can afford another season or two to give him time to grow and develop, especially his offensive game.

Round 7, Pick: 215, Christian Humphreys, RW/C, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)

Christian Humphreys finished with 23 goals and 58 points with the U.S. National U18 Team in the United States National Development Program, and was seventh on the team in scoring. His transition to the University of Michigan didn’t go as planned, as he only had one assist in his first 10 games. His transfer to the Kitchener Rangers helped revitalize his season early in the new year.

In 28 games, he had 11 goals and 33 points, finishing eighth in scoring. He helped the Rangers make it to the conference finals, but the team was ultimately swept by eventual champion London Knights. He finished with three goals and 10 points in 13 playoff games.

Humphreys had a great second half of the season, and at 19 years old, he has time to continue to develop and work on his strengths and weaknesses. The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) will be the best place for him to grow his game, especially on a good Rangers team.

Round 7, Pick: 217, Nikita Prishchepov, C/LW, Colorado Eagles (AHL)

Nikita Prishchepov was an overager coming out of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Victoriaville Tigers before being drafted. He finished his final season with Victoriaville with 22 goals and 45 assists in 63 games, finishing fourth in team scoring and helping them to the semi-finals before being eliminated. He finished with three goals and eight assists for 11 points in those 13 playoff games.

He signed his ELC early into the 2024-25 season and played 10 games with the Avalanche, but was pointless. He was sent down to the Eagles for the remainder of the season and played 51 games, scoring nine goals and 23 points. Currently in the Pacific Division Finals against the Abbotsford Canucks, down 2-1, he has only played in three playoff games and has zero points.

The Avalanche traded many of their top prospects for experienced players in hopes of winning a Stanley Cup this season, but they fell short. They are in win-now mode, and many prospects, including the ones listed here, could be moved for the right price to build a championship roster. Overall, 2024 was an impressive draft with a lot of talent joining the organization. Will these players develop enough to join the team before management trades them away? Or will they be considered suitable for a role within the organization?