Only one day after acquiring his signing rights from the Ottawa Senators, the Colorado Avalanche made quick work signing their new goalie. The organization announced they have signed goaltender Kevin Mandolese to a one-year contract for the 2024-25 season. Although the deal’s financial terms were not disclosed in the press release, the expectation is that it will be a two-way contract for the league minimum salary at the NHL level.
The Avalanche acquired Mandolese’s signing rights and a seventh-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2026. The soon-to-be 24-year-old goaltender should start next season with the team’s AHL affiliate in Loveland, CO, and could even feature with the organization’s ECHL affiliate, the Utah Grizzlies.
Mandolese has spent the last four years of his career in the Senators’ organization while primarily playing for the Belleville Senators of the AHL. Serving the majority of the time as the team’s backup goaltender, Mandolese recently put together a 10-9-2 record in 23 games during the 2023-24 AHL season while collecting a .901 save percentage and 3.07 goals against average in the process. He has not featured in an NHL contest since the 2022-23 season as he procured three games with Ottawa where he secured a 1-2-0 record in three contests in addition to a .916 SV% and a 3.29 GAA.
The young netminder could earn the role of starting goaltender for the first time with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles as the Avalanche are expected to graduate Justus Annunen to the full-time backup position in the NHL. The Eagles will deploy a combination of Mandolese and Trent Miner during the 2024-25 AHL season with the former likely receiving a plethora of the starts.