Avalanche Recall Jack Ahcan
The Colorado Avalanche have recalled defenseman Jack Ahcan from the Colorado Eagles. Ahcan is currently the AHL scoring leader after racking up one goal and four points in the Eagles’ first two games of the season. Colorado had an extra roster spot available after placing Samuel Girard on injured reserve, and now use it to reward Ahcan’s hot start.
Ahcan has taken a step forward in scoring in each of his six years in the AHL. His career began as an undrafted college free agent, following 103 points in 144 games at St. Cloud State. He signed with the Boston Bruins, and potted 10 points in his first 19 AHL games in the 2020-21 season. He grew to 23 points in 46 games in the next season, then 36 points in 68 games in 2022-23. A depth chart logjam pushed Ahcan out of the Bruins organization in the summer of 2023, but his momentum didn’t slow down in a move to the Eagles. He rose to 38 points in 70 games in the 2023-24, and 41 points in 69 games last season.
Ahcan is a sharp offensive-defenseman who creates dangerous chances on fastbreaks and shots from the point. He will be in direct competition with Ilya Solovyov for a role on the team’s bottom pair. Solovyov made his debut with the Avalanche on Saturday, and recorded a minus-one. He played 15 games, and scored for points, with the Calgary Flames over the last two seasons. He has also totaled 33 points in 110 AHL games since 2023.
Samuel Girard Out Week-To-Week
A tough day on the injury front around the NHL continues. The Avalanche announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Samuel Girard is listed as out week-to-week due to an upper-body injury.
It hasn’t been a great start to 2025-26 for the 27-year-old. Girard missed most of training camp with a lower-body injury, only getting into one preseason game as a result. Now, he’s set to be out for a little while with this injury sustained just two games into the regular season.
When healthy, Girard has been a reliable top-four defender for Colorado. Last season, he had 24 points and 111 blocks in 73 games while logging just under 21 minutes a night of playing time while seeing time on both the power play and penalty kill. He also added three points in their first-round loss to Dallas.
Girard had started this season on Colorado’s second pairing alongside newcomer Brent Burns. Notably, he’s one of just two left-shot defensemen in their top six, a rarity in a league that typically sees teams carrying more lefties than righties. Recent waiver claim Ilya Solovyov is expected to take Girard’s place in the lineup for the time being.
It hasn’t been a good start to the season for the Avs on the injury front. Starting goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood is dealing with a lower-body injury while winger Logan O’Connor is recovering from hip surgery. They have a pair of injured players with reduced cap charges on season-opening IR in Nikita Prishchepov and Jacob MacDonald and now will have Girard likely heading for injured reserve as well.
The end result from these injuries is that they’re starting to get pretty tight to the cap ceiling with around $1.07MM in cap room, per PuckPedia. That’s enough to recall a replacement for Girard (who has already been placed on IR to free up a roster spot) but any further injuries before someone comes back could see them having to use LTIR, an outcome they’re trying to avoid after being in it regularly for the past several years.
Latest On Mackenzie Blackwood
- Although Colorado Avalanche netminder Mackenzie Blackwood practiced with the team today as he continues his push to return to full health, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told the media (including the Denver Gazette’s Evan Rawal) that Blackwood still isn’t quite fully ready and is questionable to travel with the team on its upcoming road trip. It does appear Blackwood isn’t too far off, though, and Bednar did reveal the team is considering potentially sending Blackwood out on a conditioning stint with their AHL affiliate as an option to help him get back up to full speed. Blackwood, once healthy, is expected to be the Avalanche’s undisputed No. 1 goalie. He posted a .913 save percentage in 37 games last season and is under contract at a $5.25MM AAV through the 2029-30 season.
Avalanche Activate Ilya Solovyov
The Avalanche have added defenseman Ilya Solovyov to their active roster, according to Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports. He started the year on the non-roster list, awaiting his work visa after Colorado claimed him off waivers from the Flames last week. The Avs cleared a roster spot earlier in the week by assigning fellow defender Jack Ahcan to the minors.
As a result, Solovyov has been cleared to practice with the team and will be available for Colorado’s third game of the season tomorrow. They’re 2-0-0 to start the year after handling the Kings on opening night and eking out a 2-1 win over the Mammoth yesterday. The Avs’ defense has held up decently well so far as constructed, so it’s likely Solovyov could be relegated to the press box for a while unless an injury occurs. The team has hovered around a league-average 29 shots against per game but has been propped up by a hot start between the pipes from Scott Wedgewood, who’s saved 56 of 58 shots faced for a .966 SV%, while starter Mackenzie Blackwood remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Even still, the 25-year-old Solovyov is ticketed for his most regular NHL role yet. The 2020 seventh-round pick had been a tweener for the last two years in Calgary, making 10 appearances in 2023-24 and five in 2024-25. He’s got four assists and a -6 rating in those 15 career contests and averaged 15:49 per game. The 6’3″ lefty was a physical force in those call-ups, recording 25 blocks and 26 hits, but overall struggled to control possession with a 47.0 CF% at even strength. The Avs will be hoping to boost that last number if he gets more consistent reps in the lineup.
Solovyov was waived to begin last season as well, but made it through. His claim came on the heels of a career year in the minors, posting a 6-22–28 scoring line and a +8 rating in 59 showings for AHL Calgary.
It might be worth watching if he gets a spot in the lineup over Sam Malinski in the coming days. Their third pairing of Malinski and Josh Manson, both righties, has only controlled 41.7% of expected goals so far, while their top two pairings have both logged an xGF% of at least 60, per MoneyPuck. Solovyov’s claim was no doubt influenced by the fact that he’s a left shot, an area of Colorado’s depth chart lacking NHL-caliber depth behind Devon Toews and Samuel Girard.
Avalanche Reassign Jack Ahcan
The Avalanche assigned defenseman Jack Ahcan outright to AHL Colorado, according to a team announcement. Ahcan had cleared waivers on Monday but was not immediately reassigned, remaining with the club as a healthy scratch for their opening night win over the Kings on Tuesday. His demotion indicates that defenseman Ilya Solovyov, whom Colorado plucked off the wire from the Flames last week, has resolved his work visa issues and is ready to come off the non-roster list.
Ahcan, 28, is entering his third season in the Colorado organization. He was very briefly an unrestricted free agent on July 1 before opting to return to Colorado on a one-year, two-way deal that guarantees him at least $450K. He initially joined the Avs on a two-year, two-way deal as a Group VI UFA back in 2023.
Before that, Ahcan was in the Bruins’ pipeline. They signed him as an undrafted free agent out of St. Cloud State in 2020. He saw brief NHL looks with Boston in his first two professional seasons, making nine appearances for the club from 2020-22. He was given a somewhat long leash, averaging 17:34 per game, but only scored one goal with a -6 rating with middling possession numbers. After that, Ahcan didn’t appear in an NHL game again until last season, skating in a pair of late-season games as Colorado rested its NHL regulars. He averaged 15:48 over that pair of games while recording a shot, block, and three hits.
The 5’9″ lefty has created enough offense at the minor-league level to stay afloat. He’s coming off a career-best effort with Colorado’s AHL affiliate, the Eagles, posting a 5-36–41 line in 69 appearances. In 272 career AHL appearances, he has 23 goals and 125 assists for 148 points with a +22 rating.
Colorado will keep Ahcan in the organization for the balance of the season as one of their primary recall options should they need a fill-in on the NHL roster, particularly if there’s a need for a puck-mover.
Eight Players Recalled From Eagles
- The Avalanche announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forwards Chase Bradley, Maros Jedlicka, Taylor Makar, Jayson Megna, Tristen Nielsen, and T.J. Tynan, along with defensemen Sean Behrens and Alex Gagne from AHL Colorado. They were all cut earlier in training camp and should be sent back to the Eagles in short order following their game tonight.
Avalanche Claim Ilya Solovyov
The Avalanche have acquired defenseman Ilya Solovyov from the Flames via waivers, according to PuckPedia.
Solovyov, 25, is in the second year of a two-year, $1.55MM contract with a $775K cap hit that he signed with Calgary as a restricted free agent in 2024. It carries a one-way structure this year, so even if the Avs managed to have him clear waivers and assign him to the minors, they’re on the hook for that full NHL salary. Solovyov skated in five of his 15 career NHL contests in 2024-25, posting an assist and eight blocks with 12 hits and a -3 rating while averaging 15:40 per game.
The 6’3″ Solovyov commands more intrigue because of his minor-league work with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. The Belarusian rearguard is coming off a career-high 6-22–28 scoring line in 59 appearances for the Wranglers, along with a +8 rating. A seventh-round pick back in 2020, he brings four years of professional experience to the Colorado organization that includes an 18-51–69 scoring line with a +33 rating in 229 career AHL games.
Colorado is weak on left-side defensive depth with NHL upside, so it’s not unsurprising to see them make a claim and give Keaton Middleton some competition for the No. 7 job while also providing a backup option if righty Sam Malinski struggles to adjust to playing on his off side, as he’s projected to do alongside Brent Burns. All of Colorado’s projected extra forwards who remain in camp are waiver-exempt, so they could carry 13 forwards and eight defenders to start the year with Logan O’Connor on injured reserve. That would allow them to retain Solovyov and Middleton without risking losing either on waivers.
Training Camp Cuts: 10/1/25
There’s less than a week until the first game of the 2025-26 NHL season. Outside of a handful of teams, most clubs have around 35 players remaining on their training camp rosters, leaving plenty of work to do before opening night. As always, you can keep track of every team’s current iteration at our Training Camp Rosters tracker. Today’s cuts are as follows:
Boston Bruins (per PuckPedia)
D Billy Sweezey (to AHL Providence, pending waivers)
Colorado Avalanche (Per team announcement)
D Wyatt Aamodt (to AHL Colorado, pending waivers)
F Daniil Gushchin (to AHL Colorado, pending waivers)
F Maros Jedlicka (to AHL Colorado)
G Mathis Langevin (to QMJHL Rimouski)
Detroit Red Wings (per PuckPedia and team announcement)
F Carson Bantle (released from PTO to AHL Grand Rapids)
F Carter Bear (to WHL Everett)
F Alexandre Doucet (to AHL Grand Rapids)
F Sheldon Dries (to AHL Grand Rapids, pending waivers)
G Carter Gylander (to ECHL Toledo)
D Alex Kannok Leipert (released from PTO to AHL Grand Rapids)
D William Lagesson (to AHL Grand Rapids, pending waivers)
F John Leonard (to AHL Grand Rapids, pending waivers)
D Ian Mitchell (to AHL Grand Rapids, pending waivers)
F Jakub Rychlovský (to AHL Grand Rapids)
F Gabriel Seger (released from PTO to AHL Grand Rapids)
F Dominik Shine (to AHL Grand Rapids, pending waivers)
F Eduards Tralmaks (to AHL Grand Rapids)
D Jacob Truscott (released from PTO to AHL Grand Rapids)
F Austin Watson (to AHL Grand Rapids, pending waivers)
Florida Panthers (per PuckPedia)
F MacKenzie Entwistle (to AHL Charlotte, pending waivers)
F Nolan Foote (to AHL Charlotte, pending waivers)
F Wilmer Skoog (to AHL Charlotte, pending waivers)
Los Angeles Kings (per team announcement)
D Samuel Bolduc (to AHL Ontario, pending waivers)
F Logan Brown (to AHL Ontario, pending waivers)
F Martin Chromiak (to AHL Ontario, pending waivers)
F Kenny Connors (to AHL Ontario)
G Pheonix Copley (to AHL Ontario, pending waivers)
D Jakub Dvorak (to AHL Ontario)
F Glenn Gawdin (to AHL Ontario, pending waivers)
F Liam Greentree (to OHL Windsor)
F Cole Guttman (to AHL Ontario, pending waivers)
D Joe Hicketts (to AHL Ontario, pending waivers)
D Kirill Kirsanov (to AHL Ontario)
F Andre Lee (to AHL Ontario, pending waivers)
D Jack Millar (to AHL Ontario)
F Francesco Pinelli (to AHL Ontario)
G Erik Portillo (to AHL Ontario)
D Tim Rego (to AHL Ontario)
D Otto Salin (to AHL Ontario)
G Isaiah Saville (to AHL Ontario)
F Akil Thomas (to AHL Ontario, pending waivers)
F Taylor Ward (to AHL Ontario, pending waivers)
F Jared Wright (to AHL Ontario)
Nashville Predators (per PuckPedia and team announcement)
D Andreas Englund (to AHL Milwaukee, pending waivers)
F Reid Schaefer (to AHL Milwaukee)
Philadelphia Flyers (per team announcement and PuckPedia)
F Jacob Gaucher (to AHL Lehigh Valley)
F Lane Pederson (to AHL Lehigh Valley, pending waivers)
San Jose Sharks (per PuckPedia)
F Patrick Giles (to AHL San Jose, pending waivers)
Tampa Bay Lightning (per team announcement)
F Nicholas Abruzzese (to AHL Syracuse, pending waivers)
F Dylan Duke (to AHL Syracuse)
F Boris Katchouk (to AHL Syracuse, pending waivers)
F Jakob Pelletier (to AHL Syracuse, pending waivers)
F Scott Sabourin (to AHL Syracuse)
D Roman Schmidt (to AHL Syracuse)
F Wojciech Stachowiak (to AHL Syracuse)
Utah Mammoth (per team announcement)
G Jaxson Stauber (to AHL Tucson, pending waivers)
Washington Capitals (per team announcement and PuckPedia)
D Louis Belpedio (to AHL Hershey, pending waivers)
G Garin Bjorklund (to AHL Hershey)
F Graeme Clarke (to AHL Hershey, pending waivers)
F Henrik Rybinski (to AHL Hershey, pending waivers)
F Bogdan Trineyev (to AHL Hershey, pending waivers)
Winnipeg Jets (per PuckPedia and Murat Ates of The Athletic)
F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (to AHL Manitoba, pending waivers)
F Colby Barlow (to AHL Manitoba)
D Kale Clague (to AHL Manitoba, pending waivers)
F Samuel Fagemo (to AHL Manitoba, pending waivers)
G Thomas Milic (to AHL Manitoba)
D Elias Salomonsson (to AHL Manitoba)
F Brayden Yager (to AHL Manitoba)
Waivers: 10/1/25
With less than a week to go until the regular season, waiver season is in full swing. According to PuckPedia, the largest waiver placement of the preseason has taken place:
Boston Bruins
Colorado Avalanche
D Wyatt Aamodt
F Daniil Gushchin
Detroit Red Wings
F Sheldon Dries
D William Lagesson
F John Leonard
D Ian Mitchell
F Dominik Shine
F Austin Watson
Florida Panthers
F MacKenzie Entwistle
F Nolan Foote
F Wilmer Skoog
Los Angeles Kings
D Samuel Bolduc
F Logan Brown
F Martin Chromiak
G Pheonix Copley
F Glenn Gawdin
F Cole Guttman
D Joe Hicketts
F Andre Lee
F Akil Thomas
F Taylor Ward
Nashville Predators
Philadelphia Flyers
San Jose Sharks
Tampa Bay Lightning
F Nicholas Abruzzese
F Boris Katchouk
F Jakob Pelletier
Utah Mammoth
Washington Capitals
D Louis Belpedio
F Graeme Clarke
F Henrik Rybinski
F Bogdan Trineyev
Winnipeg Jets
Erik Johnson Announces Retirement
The former first-overall pick of the 2006 NHL Draft has hung up his skates after 17 seasons in the NHL. According to an announcement from the Colorado Avalanche, defenseman Erik Johnson has retired.
Although the Bloomington, MN native spent much of his career in Denver, that’s not where it began. He was originally drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 2006 and joined the team for the 2007-08 season after one year at the University of Minnesota.
Despite finishing 12th in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy, Johnson had a quality first year in St. Louis, scoring five goals and 33 points in 69 games, averaging 18:11 of ice time per game. It became clear that the Blues could confidently play Johnson in their top four, but his development and role with the team changed significantly the following season. Just three days into training camp, the following season, it was revealed that Johnson tore his ACL and MCL, costing him the entire 2008-09 season.
Still, the then-21-year-old returned for his junior season, scoring 10 goals and 39 points in 79 games, averaging 21:22 of ice time per game. Unfortunately, the Blues failed to make the postseason due to a lack of scoring from their top six, after qualifying the year before. Regardless, the team extended Johnson to a two-year, $5.2MM pact, as well as making him one of the team’s assistant captains for the 2010-11 campaign.
Another knee injury would cost him the rest of his tenure in St. Louis. The Blues traded Johnson to the Avalanche in mid-February, with Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk being the two main pieces going back to St. Louis. He would not wear another jersey for the next 13 years.
From the 2010-11 season to the 2022-23 campaign, Johnson was a mainstay on the Avalanche’s blue line. Even through some truly punishing seasons in Denver, Johnson stuck it out, winning a Stanley Cup with the team in 2022.
He didn’t add much on the offensive side of the puck with Colorado, scoring 65 goals and 236 points in 695 games from 2011 to 2023. Still, he was more than effective on the defensive side of the puck, averaging a 91.7% on-ice save percentage at even strength while averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time per night.
As his usage decreased through the latter part of his career with the Avalanche, Johnson opted to leave as a free agent following the 2022-23 campaign, signing a one-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres. He was subsequently traded to the Philadelphia Flyers at the 2023-24 deadline, sticking around until the 2024-25 deadline when he was moved back to Colorado.
Throughout his 17-year career, Johnson finished with 95 goals and 348 points in 1,023 games played, with an additional five goals and 13 points in 58 postseason contests. Outside of having his name engraved on the Stanley Cup, Johnson also owns an Olympic Silver Medal from the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
In the announcement from the Avalanche, Johnson wrote, “To the St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers and most of all the Colorado Avalanche: thank you for the opportunities and memories, especially the 2022 Stanley Cup. To my teammates, coaches, and staff: your support, camaraderie, and dedication shaped my career. To the fans: your passion made every moment unforgettable. To my family and friends: your unconditional love and support carried me through. Hockey has been my life, and I’m grateful for every second. I’m excited for what’s next and will always cherish this journey.”
We at PHR congratulate Johnson on an incredible career and wish him the best in his next chapter.
Photo courtesy of Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images.