Avalanche's Prospect Pool is Dangerously Shallow

Currently, the Colorado Avalanche are one of the best teams in the Western Conference and the NHL as a whole. Behind stars such as Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022 and have been in the mix for more than half a decade now.

Being so good for so long comes with a cost however, and as usual, it's the future.

As The Athletic begins its annual series looking at every team's prospect pool, the Avalanche came in dead last, and by a decent margin too. They have some good prospects for the future, but the cupboard is pretty barren.

"Years of going all in have caught up to Colorado," The Athletic's Corey Pronman wrote. "The Avalanche have the clear 32nd-ranked system in the NHL. Gavin Brindley and Mikhail Gulyayev are quality prospects, but it’s extremely thin after them."

The Avalanche acquired Brindley, along with second- and third-round picks, from the Columbus Blue Jackets in June. Instantly, the 20-year-old forward from Estero, Fla., became Colorado's top prospect.

"Brindley was just OK as a rookie pro, but he was also a very young player at the AHL level," Pronman wrote. "He’s a highly likable player with a great track record. With excellent skating and work ethic, Brindley buzzes around the ice, playing with a ton of pace and giving his best effort. He’s able to make highly skilled plays at full speed and plays with courage, going to the net and engaging along the walls."

Gulyayev, on the other hand, was the No. 31 overall pick by the Avalanche in the 2023 NHL Draft. The Russian defenseman projects as a strong offensive defenseman, but he's probably a ways away from making his NHL debut.