The Avalanche Return Ben Meyers To AHL
- The Colorado Avalanche have sent down forward Ben Meyers to their AHL affiliate Colorado Eagles. Bennett Durando of the Denver Post explains that Meyers was initially called up in case of an emergency, but the Avalanche will not need him in the lineup tonight as they take on the Dallas Stars. In 38 games played in the NHL throughout his young career, Meyers has scored two goals total.
[SOURCE LINK]
Brad Hunt Clears Waivers
Saturday: As expected, Hunt has cleared for the third time, Friedman reports. That allows him to return to the Eagles.
Friday: For the third time this season, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brad Hunt finds himself on waivers, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Should Hunt clear waivers, as he has done twice already this season, he will return to the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles.
Hunt, 34, has split time between the AHL and NHL this season, playing 43 games with the Avalanche and 24 with the Eagles. In the AHL, Hunt is a difference-making offensive defenseman. He has scored 21 points in the AHL this season, and his contributions have helped the Eagles clinch a spot in the Calder Cup playoffs. In the NHL, Hunt’s impact has been more limited, and he has registered just eight points in his 43 games played.
With the once injury-ravaged Avalanche blueline now getting markedly healthier, Colorado has made the decision that Hunt is better served to play a top-pairing, top-scoring role in the AHL rather than spending time in the press box as coach Jared Bednar’s ninth defenseman.
So while he last saw extended AHL time in December, Hunt heads back to the Eagles with the likely possibility that he’ll remain there for the rest of their season, unless any new injuries hit the Avalanche’s blueline. If that ends up being the case, the addition of Hunt will give the Eagles a significant boost in their chase of higher seeding for the AHL’s playoffs.
In order to get that boost, though, Hunt will need to clear waivers first. Seeing as he went unclaimed his prior two go-arounds on the waiver wire, one would assume Hunt will clear once again. But since he has nearly 300 games of NHL experience and has just a $762k cap hit, it’s not a total impossibility that a team desperate for defensive help puts in a claim. But that does seem unlikely, though, seeing as Hunt’s contract does stretch for another season, meaning he wouldn’t quite be a short-term stopgap option.
Colorado Avalanche Recall Ben Meyers
After spending most of this month with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, center Ben Meyers is getting another chance in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche. The 24-year-old has been recalled to the NHL roster, per a team announcement.
As mentioned, Myers has been with the Eagles since March 6th, when he was reassigned from the Avalanche’s roster. Meyers has been extraordinarily productive in this recent stretch of AHL games, with a total of 14 points in 11 contests, a run that includes a nine-game point streak.
It’s this prolific run of production that has likely earned him this additional chance with the Avalanche, as his first stretch with the team this year did not go as planned.
From a December 7th game against the Boston Bruins until he was sent down on January 28th, Meyers played in 25 NHL games for the Avalanche and did not register a single point.
His ice time declined from a high of 18:32 on December 9th to a stretch of 11 games in January where he got above 10 minutes of ice time just once, including a game against the Seattle Kraken that despite stretching into a shootout saw Meyers play only four minutes and five seconds.
A college hockey star and coveted NCAA free agent, Meyers’ young NHL career has been underwhelming to this point. He was a Hobey Baker Award finalist, Big 10 Player of the Year, and above-point-per-game scorer as a Minnesota Gopher.
But as an Avalanche, he has faded into the background of most games he’s played. His recent run of strong production in the AHL serves as a reminder of just how impactful he can be, though, and now he’ll get another chance to show what he can do against NHL competition.
Colorado Avalanche Sign Ondrej Pavel
March 30th, 4:22 PM: Pavel will join Colorado’s AHL affiliate Colorado Eagles for the remainder of this season. The entry-level contract will be a 2-year deal, ending after the 2024-25 season. Pavel will earn a salary of $950K in the NHL, and a salary of $82.5K in the AHL.
March 30th, 4:18 PM: Shortly after signing top goal-scorer Jason Polin from the Western Michigan University Broncos, the Colorado Avalanche have dipped back into NCAA free agency, signing Ondrej Pavel from the Minnesota State Mavericks. The length and financial information of the deal have not yet been disclosed, but we will update you as that comes in.
With only four picks within the first three rounds of the next three drafts, the Avalanche are looking to fill in their prospect depth through the collegiate level. The 22-year-old forward just finished his third season playing at Minnesota State, scoring a total of 18 goals and 23 assists in 94 regular season games. Most importantly, Pavel helped Minnesota State reach the 2021-22 National Championship, losing to the Denver University Pioneers.
Not only can Pavel generate a fair amount of offense, but he is also coming from a program that prides itself on its play from the defensive side of the puck. This season, Minnesota State’s goals-against average was fourth in the nation at 2.08. Coming from a team that demands solid two-way play from everyone, Pavel could become a valuable piece in Colorado’s bottom six, if not more.
Avalanche Sign Sam Malinski To Two-Year Pact
The Colorado Avalanche announced the signing of former Cornell University defenseman Sam Malinski to a two-year contract to begin next season, the team announced on Twitter.
Malinski, 24, recently completed his senior season, during which he served as captain, and recorded 8 goals and 18 assists for 26 points in 34 games. He is set to join the Colorado Eagles for the remainder of this season on an amateur tryout, and will join the team for its AHL playoff run.
Malinski will turn 25 in July, making him ineligible to sign a three-year entry level contract. He joins an Avalanche organization that has a lack of defensive prospects, and will likely need to show out early with the Eagles to climb the organizational depth chart.
As an undrafted free agent out of the NCAA, Malinksi is further along in his development than players who join the pro ranks at a younger age, but being more experienced, he will be expected to try and carve out a meaningful role with the Eagles before being considered for an NHL call up in the coming years.
Colorado Avalanche Sign Jason Polin
The Colorado Avalanche have announced the signing of free-agent forward Jason Polin to a one-year, entry-level contract for the 2023-24 season. The team noted that Polin will report to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles on a professional tryout for the remainder of 2022-23.
CapFriendly reports Polin’s deal carries a cap hit of $870,000, broken down into $775,000 in NHL salary, a $95,000 signing bonus, and an $80,000 games played bonus.
Polin, a 23-year-old from Holt, Michigan, just completed his senior year at Western Michigan University and served as captain this season. He tallied 30 goals (leading the entire NCAA) and 17 assists for 47 points in 39 games, marking a serious offensive breakout for the 6-foot, 198-pound forward.
Western Michigan’s season ended last week when they lost 5-1 to Boston University in the quarterfinals of the NCAA men’s tournament. Polin’s efforts this season guided Western Michigan to a ninth-place ranking in the nation to end the season.
With Polin not seeing major offensive success until his age-23 college season, expectations should be tempered for his NHL future. Set to turn 24 this offseason, Polin will likely play a middle-six role on the Eagles next year and attempt to adjust to the pro ranks.
Alex Galchenyuk Assigned To AHL
Following their victory over Arizona on Friday, the Avalanche announced (Twitter link) that they’ve assigned forward Alex Galchenyuk back to AHL Colorado.
The 29-year-old was brought up on an emergency recall after Artturi Lehkonen suffered a broken finger but Galchenyuk wasn’t exactly productive during that stretch. In the six games he played, he didn’t record a point while averaging less than six minutes per contest. For the season, Galchenyuk has played in ten games with the Avs, putting up zeros across the board offensively.
To his credit, Galchenyuk has been much more productive in the minors, tallying 15 goals and 18 assists in 33 games with the Eagles. His time with them has been the longest minor league stint of his career as prior to this season, he had played in all of six career AHL contests.
With Lehkonen and Evan Rodrigues (concussion protocol) both out of the lineup, the Avs will need to make a recall prior to Sunday’s game. It could be Galchenyuk again but with his performance being underwhelming thus far, they might look to give someone else an opportunity to make an impression.
Avalanche Injury Notes: Makar, Rodrigues, Johnson
The Colorado Avalanche will get a big boost to their lineup tonight, welcoming back defenseman Cale Makar as they take on the Arizona Coyotes, per The Athletic’s Peter Baugh.
Makar has been sidelined for the past two games with a lower-body injury and missed a combined nine games due to concussion protocols not too long before that. The 24-year-old Conn Smythe winner has once again been an all-world player for the Avalanche this year, recording 61 points in 55 games. With Makar back on the ice, Samuel Girard slides back down to a second-pairing role alongside Bowen Byram, giving Colorado its full complement of top-four defensemen.
There were more positive updates from Colorado practice today:
- Forward Evan Rodrigues was practicing in a normal jersey on Friday, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, suggesting he could be close to returning to the lineup. Rodrigues missed the team’s last game while in concussion protocol and remains day-to-day. The 29-year-old has recorded 33 points in 58 games this season, his first with Colorado. While he’s not currently projected to play tonight against the Coyotes, he could return when Colorado heads to Arizona on Sunday.
- Also according to Baugh, defenseman Erik Johnson is set to return tonight against the Coyotes after missing 18 games with a broken ankle. This is close to the healthiest Colorado’s defense has been all season, with now only Josh Manson missing from the fold. The 35-year-old will skate in a bottom-pairing role alongside Jack Johnson in his return to the lineup.
Darren Helm To Return To Lineup; Makar, Johnson Practice In Regular Jerseys
- While Erik Johnson had already returned to skating in a normal jersey at Colorado Avalanche practice, two other injured players joined him today — Cale Makar and Darren Helm, according to Peter Baugh of The Athletic. Helm, who’s appeared in just five games this year as he’s been sidelined with multiple injuries, is set to rejoin the lineup tonight, says The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando. Makar had missed the team’s last game with a lower-body injury and is day-to-day.
Avalanche Sign Jared Bednar To Contract Extension
The Colorado Avalanche (Twitter link) have signed head coach Jared Bednar to a three-year contract extension. Bednar is in his seventh season as the team’s bench boss, and helped get them to a Stanley Cup championship last season. He has helped players like Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen grow from skilled youngsters to superstar talents in that time.
Chris Johnston of TSN added that the contract will keep him with the team through the 2026-27 season, meaning he was already signed through next season.
Financial terms of coaching contracts are rarely given in detail, but TSN’s Darren Dreger reports Bednar will earn just shy of $5MM during the three-year contract extension.
Bednar has helped guide the team from the literal bottom to the top of the NHL world. His arrival with the Avalanche was just before the 2016-17 season began as previous head coach Patrick Roy gave up his position on the eve of training camp. The Avalanche had an abysmal 22-56-4 record in Bednar’s first season, but stuck by him and the team has not missed the postseason since.
After a few promising seasons ended in playoff heartbreak, the Avalanche finally won a championship last season following an incredible regular season that saw them go 56-19-7.
Bednar has done impressive work once again this season. The Avalanche nursed a bit of a Stanley Cup hangover early in the season but despite long-term injuries to key players like Landeskog, Artturi Lehkonen, Bowen Byram and Josh Manson, they are just one point back of the Central Division lead.
After his tough first season in Colorado, the Avalanche have been one of the best teams in the league for the past six years. With Bednar behind the bench, they promise to be among the NHL’s elite for the next four seasons.