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Complete Avalanche draft player breakdown
TASS

As the 24th pick for the Colorado Avalanche drew near, the anticipation escalated. Reports were floating around the draft floor that General Manager Chris MacFarland was on the phone and meeting with other teams. That team specifically was the Utah Hockey Club. Colorado would trade their first-round pick away, but gaining so much more. In return, they would get the 38th and 71st this year and a second-round pick next year. Here are all the players that the Avalanche drafted in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and a breakdown of them.

Ilya Nabokov, Goaltender (38th overall)

The first pick of the 2024 draft for the Avalanche was goaltender Ilya Naboko from Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the KHL. He is ranked number two on the international goalie list and posted a 23–13–3 record as a rookie with a .930 save percentage. To add to that, Nabokov had a 16–6 record in the playoffs with a .942 save percentage. The youngest player to do so, he won the Gagarin Cup and secure the playoff MVP. He has a two-way contract that will end in April 2025, meaning that he could fill the gap left by Trent Miner. He is confident and explosive in the crease to take away angles.

William Zellers, Left Wing (76th overall)

William Zellers, who attended Shattuck St. Mary’s Prep in Minnesota, led all U.S. high school hockey league in goals and points this last season (57–54–111). The University of North Dakota commit plays a fast and physical game and will head to the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL first. Zellers will get in on the forecheck quickly. Even when he is in tight quarters, he can get a shot off, making him a constant scoring threat. Zellers plays a great two-way game, making him effective in both the power play and the penalty kill.

Jake Fisher, Center (121st overall)

Jake Fisher, who will attend the University of Denver next season, is a forward that overpowers his opponents in puck battles. A skater with speed down the middle, he can also rip the one-timers with ease. While playing with the Fargo Force last season, Fisher tallied 47 points (23–24) in 51 games. The centerman would help lead the Force to the Clark Cup championship and secure the win as well. 

 “I chose the University of Denver because the hockey team has a history of winning championships and developing NHL players,” Fisher said. “The coaches have treated me great, and I have a high level of trust in them that they will put me in the right position to succeed. The schooling as well is a high level, and I love the campus and location in the city.”

Louka Cloutier, Goaltender (132nd overall)

Louka Cloutier will attend the University of Nebraska- Omaha next season after spending the year with the Chicago Steel. Cloutier broke out after taking over the starting role for the Steel, posting a 14–14–2 record with a .904 save percentage. He is calm and collected in the net, but not a game breaker. Cloutier has a ton of potential and the NCHC will help him develop his game. He will play against the best talent in the NCAA, but fans will need to be patient as he develops his game.

Ivan Yunin, Goaltender (137th overall)

Ivan Yunin is an 18-year-old goaltender playing in Russia’s MHL (equivalent to juniors in North America). Yunin is an athletic goalie that plays with a wide stance and can move effortlessly around the crease. Playing his second season for the Omskie Yastreby, Yunin put forth a 2.31 goals allowed average and .909 save percentage. The six foot two-inch youngster can react quickly to changes in the play and make improbable saves.

Maxmilian Curran, Center (161st overall)

Maxmilian Curran, also known as Max, is a strong two-way forward with a high hockey IQ. He needs some work on his skating, but makes up for it with his vision and pass-first mentality. Curran missed the last half of the season because of injury, but was hitting his stride before that. He is a center who can control the play in every zone, playing a smart positional game. Curran’s main deficiency in his game is a lack of grit. Playing with the Tri-City Americans for 40 games, he racked up 32 points (5–27).

Tory Pitner, Defense (185th overall)

Tory Pitner is another player committed to the University of Denver. He will actually be roommates with Jake Fisher this year. Pitner is a stay-at-home defenseman that likened himself to John Marino and Jeff Petry. Pitner is not the biggest kid at 180 pounds, but he can outbox his opponents and dig hard in the corners. He has a very active stick and can take space away from the attackers.

“I chose to attend the University of Denver because of the blend of elite athletics and academics,” Pitner said. “The coaching staff with the hockey program is second to none, and their ability to develop NHL players is something that I really valued and was another reason I chose to attend the university.”

Christian Humphreys, Center (215th overall)

Christian Humphreys will attend the University of Michigan this fall after spending the last two seasons in the U.S. National Development Program. With the USHL team, Humphreys tallied 24 points in just 23 games (7–17). He is a well-rounded forward with strong secondary scoring capabilities. Humphreys is strong on the forecheck and plays well through all three zones. He will need to work on his skating, but the NCHC will force him to get better at that. The Pittsburgh native possesses a strong work-ethic that will help him grow as a player.

Nikita Prishchepov, Center (217th overall)

Nikita Prishchepov is a big center that has great vision that can lead on a pass rather than throw the puck into the feet. He has splendid vision and is patient with the puck. Prishchepov spent the last season with the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL. He collected 67 points (22–45) in 64 games, finishing fourth on the team in scoring.

Conclusion

The Avalanche had a need in the crease, and they filled it today with three goaltenders. Colorado may not see a few of them for a couple of years, but goalies may take years to get to the NHL. Trent Miner, who just signed a new contract, has been in the system for three years and never seen the NHL. Colorado added three players that will see development out of the organization in the NCHC. The Avalanche turned two picks into five with trades and did it without giving up a current man on the roster. It was a successful draft for the Avalanche. The only thing I would have done differently is I would have taken more defense.

This article first appeared on The Rink and was syndicated with permission.

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Sharks, Avalanche swap forwards in trade
NHL

Sharks, Avalanche swap forwards in trade

According to a team announcement from the San Jose Sharks, the Sharks have traded forward Daniil Gushchin to the Colorado Avalanche for forward Oskar Olausson. The former is still a restricted free agent while Olausson has one year remaining on his entry-level contract. It’s a change-of-scenery trade for both forwards, with the beneficiaries being the two teams’ respective AHL affiliates. The only noticeable difference between the two is that Gushchin is considered more NHL-ready, but isn’t quite good enough to be an NHL regular. The Yekaterinburg, Russia native was drafted by San Jose with the 76th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft. He was coming off a relatively impressive season with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks, scoring 22 goals and 47 points in 42 games with a +21 rating. After another season in Muskegon and one with the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs, Gushchin became a full-time player for the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda beginning in the 2022-23 campaign. He has enjoyed plenty of offensive success throughout his time with the AHL’s San Jose, scoring 70 goals and 150 points in 182 games, with one goal in four postseason contests. Unfortunately, Gushchin has left much to be desired on the defensive side of the puck, owning a -48 career rating. Still, Gushchin’s ability to score will make the AHL’s Colorado Eagles that much harder to play against, given that they led the AHL in scoring last season with 250. Unlike Gushchin, the Avalanche used a first-round selection to draft Olausson, who went 28th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. He was a top-level talent for HV71’s U20 team, scoring 14 goals and 27 points in 16 games. Olausson transitioned to North American hockey a year later, scoring 26 goals and 49 points in 55 games split between the OHL’s Barrie Colts and Oshawa Generals. Given his success in one of the top Canadian major junior leagues, the Avalanche hoped Olausson could be a key contributor in a few years. Unfortunately, his play with AHL Colorado has zapped much of that hope. Since joining the Eagles ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, the same year Gushchin became a full-time AHL player, Olausson has scored 33 goals and 66 points in 163 contests, with one goal and eight points in 17 playoff games. Both players have spent limited time in the NHL since making their professional debuts. Gushchin has the edge, featuring in 18 games compared to Olausson’s four. Still, neither player should be expected to drastically improve those totals in 2025-26, unless their NHL club sustains multiple injuries to their forward core.

Aaron Boone Makes Feelings Clear After Yankees’ Big Trade
MLB

Aaron Boone Makes Feelings Clear After Yankees’ Big Trade

The New York Yankees didn't come into the season with the strongest third base situation, and it only got worse over time. They converted traditional second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the hot corner after getting him at the Trade Deadline last season and installed a timeshare with him, DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza, and Oswaldo Cabrera there in 2025. However, the latter player broke his ankle on May 12, and the Yankees released the now 37-year-old LeMahieu on July 10. Chisholm was primarily back at second at that point, so this left Peraza and Jorbit Vivas as their only true remaining third basemen. With Peraza hitting .147 and Vivas hitting .164, it was clear what the team's biggest need was. That's why it acquired veteran third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies on Friday. New York manager Aaron Boone gave his thoughts about the 30-year-old before Friday's bout with the Philadelphia Phillies, via SNY. "I know there's real offensive potential there. I know he's had real offensive success, as well as some struggles there over the last calendar year or two," he said. "It seems like over the last month he's really started swinging the bat like he's capable of. He can impact the ball, he can control the strike zone, he's had some swing-and-misses that have probably hurt him a little bit." "But then he can really defend over there," he continued. "The handful of times that we've played against them that I watch him, you're like, 'That's what it should look like over there.' He moves really well and has that prototypical good third base thing." McMahon is slashing .217/.314/.403 with 16 homers and 35 RBI over 100 games this season. He also has a .978 fielding percentage and six errors. Right-handed pitcher Will Warren (6-5, 4.91 ERA) will start for the Yankees against Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker (3-5, 3.75 ERA) on Friday.

Yankees makes pair of roster moves following Phillies loss
MLB

Yankees makes pair of roster moves following Phillies loss

After a crushing 12–5 defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night, the New York Yankees made a pair of roster changes aimed at strengthening a bullpen that surrendered 10 earned runs in the loss. Right-handed reliever Scott Effross and infielder Jorbit Vivas were both optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, clearing space for immediate reinforcements. Effross, 31, bore the brunt of the damage late in the game. Entering in the ninth inning with the Yankees trailing 8–5, he gave up four runs on four hits, failing to record the shutdown frame the team desperately needed. His ERA ballooned from 5.59 to 8.44 after the outing. Across 11 appearances in 2025, Effross has allowed 10 runs on 16 hits in 10.2 innings, striking out six and walking three. The outing proved costly, both in the game and for his place on the roster. Vivas, 24, didn’t fare much better this season. Used sparingly, he appeared in 29 games while slashing .161/.266/.250 with one home run and five RBIs. He entered Friday’s game as a late substitution at third base and flew out in his lone plate appearance. In their place, the Yankees activated third baseman Ryan McMahon, acquired earlier in the day from the Colorado Rockies. The 30-year-old 2024 All-Star brings experience and a needed defensive upgrade to the hot corner. Through 100 games this season, McMahon is hitting .217 with a .314 on-base percentage and .403 slugging percentage, while adding 16 home runs and 35 RBIs. Discussing McMahon’s fit with the Yankees, Paul Goldschmidt celebrated the addition, noting how exciting he fits within New York’s defensive identity. “He’s a really good player, great defender,” Goldschmidt said of McMahon. “He’s a good hitter, and he’s going to help us.” Manager Aaron Boone confirmed that McMahon would be active for Saturday’s matchup against the Phillies. The Yankees, currently 56–47, trail the Phillies, who improved to 59–44 with Friday’s win. Boone also acknowledged the bullpen’s ongoing struggles. The relief corps entered Friday ranked 20th in the league with a 4.07 ERA and has been thinned by injuries to Mark Leiter Jr., Fernando Cruz, and Ryan Yarbrough. With Clarke Schmidt out for the season and Luis Gil still recovering, reinforcements are expected before the July 31 trade deadline. The Yankees are expected to call up a fresh arm Saturday morning. Whether that move stabilizes the bullpen or not, more changes could be imminent.

Everything That Happened at Practice 3 of Packers Training Camp
NFL

Everything That Happened at Practice 3 of Packers Training Camp

As he headed back to his office after the third practice of Green Bay Packers training camp, coach Matt LaFleur probably wasn’t very happy. With new starting center Elgton Jenkins missing practice, shotgun snaps were sometimes an adventure – though not to the extent of Thursday’s practice. There were too many turnovers. And there was too much contact for a noncontact practice. First, the contact. Cornerback Nate Hobbs was the primary culprit. Early in practice, Hobbs knocked receiver Dontayvion Wicks to the ground after a catch. Later, Wicks was open over the middle but was hit in the back by Hobbs, which forced an incompletion but earned Hobbs a conversation with LaFleur. “It happened twice today, but it’s all good,” Wicks said. “We’re football players at the end of the day. We’re going to have to take some hits but it’s cool. I’m good. … “Coach always stresses team first, so he always talks about keeping each other up. That’s the main thing in practice, especially with no pads on. But some stuff happened. It happens. I’ve just got to control emotions and go onto the next play.” For the most part, the offense played relatively clean football during the first two practices. However, on Friday: - Running back Josh Jacobs ran for a first down but had the ball punched out; it appeared Hobbs forced the fumble. Receiver Romeo Doubs was there for the recovery. - On the first play of a 2-minute drill, Malik Willis telegraphed a pass into the flat, which Kalen King almost intercepted. - One play later, Willis was intercepted, though that was due to incidental contact between receiver Julian Hicks and cornerback Carrington Valentine in which Hicks hit the turf and Valentine grabbed the pass. - On the second play of a 2-minute drill, Jordan Love’s pass into the flat was almost intercepted by Xavier McKinney. - On third down in the red zone of a 2-minute drill, with the offense only needing a field goal, Sean Clifford was almost intercepted in the end zone by cornerback Tyron Herring. - During a third-down period, Tucker Kraft caught a pass, split two defenders and picked up the first down, but Javon Bullard forced a fumble that was recovered by McKinney. - During the same third-down period, Willis threw one right to safety Zayne Anderson for an interception on the second-to-last play of the day. Physical mistakes will happen. The hits in a no-pads practice perhaps bothered LaFleur more than anything. As he said before the first practice, “When you don’t have pads on, I told the guys, if we lose one person, that hurts our football team. So, they’ve got to respect each other enough to be able to compete but within the guidelines of how you play football without pads. So, I think that’s always the challenge.” Jordan Love’s Day For a third consecutive day, Jordan Love’s completion percentage was significantly over 50 percent. On Friday, he was 12-of-17. The first two plays of the day showed the full arsenal. First, on play action, he rifled one to the left to Dontayvion Wicks for a gain of about 20. Next, he showed finesse and touch by dropping one over the linebackers to Romeo Doubs, who made a leaping catch for a gain of about 15. Love and the No. 1 offense got two shots in starters vs. starters 2-minute drills. On the first, Xavier McKinney almost made a tremendous interception when he jumped a pass to the flat to Tucker Kraft on second down and Love couldn’t run through the pressure of Kenny Clark and Lukas Van Ness for a sack. While that drive stalled, his second drive found the end zone. Starting once again from the 35 with 1:20 on the clock and one timeout, Love on third-and-5 connected with Kraft in the flat. McKinney quickly made the stop and the ball was initially ruled short of the first down before Kraft was credited for a 5-yard catch. After a checkdown to Emanuel Wilson gained 6, Keisean Nixon was beaten by a step but recovered to break up an underthrown deep shot to Romeo Doubs. That set up a third-and-4 from the defense’s 49 and set the stage for the next segment in the story. Play of the Day: Touchdown to Dontayvion Wicks Jordan Love took the snap and took a couple steps to his left before firing a bomb to Dontayvion Wicks, who was running deep and to the right. With Xavier McKinney the closest defender, Wicks caught the ball near the goal line for a 49-yard touchdown. “We had to get down the field to win the competition,” Wicks said. “We called a play and I knew I had the post. I had a man on me. I released, ran full speed. I knew X was over the top, so I stemmed out a little bit and broke flat across. It was a runaway and J-Love gave me the ball, and I ran under it and that was all from there.” It was the first big win of the summer for the No. 1 offense. “It’s a lot of competition out there, a lot of good guys to go against,” Wicks said. “They always say iron sharpens iron, so going against them guys out there makes it easier for when you get in the game and going against some of the top players in the league. It gives you confidence. “It’s a real confidence boost doing it in practice and preparing for the games. We ain’t got a game till five weeks from here. We’re just trying to get better every day and stack the wins and stacking the chemistry. It’s always good to get some opportunities in practice and capitalizing on them. I think it gets you right and helps with that confidence and boosting that confidence for the games.” Player of the Day: Brandon McManus Kicker Brandon McManus turned 34 on Friday, and he celebrated with a superb display of field-goal kicking. The first 2-minute drive belonged to the No. 2s, which the defense won. The ball was moved forward to the defense’s 33-yard line for McManus to kick a 51-yard field goal, which he converted. After Jordan Love’s first 2-minute drive ended in a sack, the ball again was moved to the 33 for a 51-yard field goal. McManus kicked the ball and audibly reacted as if he had missed. The kick split the uprights, though. Next, Sean Clifford led the No. 3s into scoring position to set up McManus for a 33-yard field goal. After Jordan Love’s touchdown bomb to Wicks, McManus lined up for a 56-yard field goal. He made that one, too, with a few yards to spare. Next up was a field-goal period, with McManus converting from 40, 42 and 44 yards to run his training camp tally to 13-of-13. Packers Injury Updates New injuries: LG Aaron Banks (back), WR Savion Williams (concussion). “Just had a little back issue,” coach Matt LaFleur said of Banks. “Everything checked out all right. I would say it's going to be very day to day.” Old injuries: LB Quay Walker (ankle), receiver Christian Watson (knee), linebacker Collin Oliver (hamstring), running back Amar Johnson (hamstring) and offensive lineman John Williams (back) and center Elgton Jenkins (back). “My hopes are high, for sure,” Watson said. “Honestly, I’ve just been pushing as hard as I can and letting the training staff pull me back from doing stuff. But yeah, every time I’ve gotten to a new block, just getting through it really quick and feeling really good. I haven’t had any setbacks, so I’m just praying that continues.” Returning from injuries: Nobody. Packers Practice Highlights - On his first snap of the day, backup quarterback Malik Willis faked the handoff and ran to the right on a designed keeper. Picking up overpowering blocks by receiver Malik Heath and running back Chris Brooks, Heath sprinted to a significant gain. It will be interesting to see if the Packers have a package of plays for Willis. - On the next play, Willis completed a pass into the flat to Matthew Golden, though Brenton Cox might have had a sack in a live situation. - Speaking of Golden, a jet sweep didn’t go anywhere, due in part to Nate Hobbs’ work against the blockers, but an end-around did, as he took the handoff from Willis, turned on the jets and broke free up the left side. - Rookie seventh-round cornerback Micah Robinson had his first noteworthy play. Sean Clifford booted to his right and hit receiver Sam Brown, but Robinson was there instantly to limit the play to a minimal gain. - During the twos-vs.-twos 2-minute, Willis completed a pass to Mecole Hardman for 10 yards on the first play. After a 7-yard completion to Julian Hicks, Willis went deep to Hicks. Hicks might have gotten his feet tangled up with cornerback Carrington Valentine, who grabbed his second interception of the summer. - During the threes-vs.-threes 2-minute, Sean Clifford got the offense into scoring position. The big play came on the second snap, when Robinson was flagged for pass interference. The penalty was for 29 yards, which was where the ball landed and not where the penalty occurred. Regardless, completions to Cornelius Johnson and Sam Brown were stopped for short gains by Bo Melton and Jamon Johnson, respectively. On third-and-2, Clifford connected with Hicks for 8 yards and a first down to the 15 with 24 seconds remaining. The defense held, though. Clifford had to throw it away on first down and his deep corner route to tight end Ben Sims was caught just out of bounds. On third-and-10, rookie corner Tyron Herring dropped an interception in the end zone. Brandon McManus booted a 33-yard field goal. - Undrafted rookie safety Jonathan Baldwin had his first two noteworthy plays. Early in practice, he stopped a toss to running back Jalen White. Later, during a third-down period, he made a leaping pass breakup. - Keisean Nixon has had a superb start to camp. Romeo Doubs beat him for a sliding catch on a pass from Jordan Love; it was probably the only completion he’s allowed in three days. - For the second consecutive day, center Trey Hill was removed from the lineup for a moment because of a bad snap. - Practice ended with the offense facing second-and-11 (give or take) before a pre-scripted third-and-long. Love was 3-of-3 passing in this period. On third-and-9, Tucker Kraft took a short pass for a first down but Javon Bullard forced a fumble. Next, Love completed a checkdown to Josh Jacobs before hitting Kraft at the sideline on third-and-6 for the first down. Also in that period, Valentine broke up Malik Willis’ 50/50 ball to Matthew Golden on third-and-9, Baldwin broke up Sean Clifford’s pass to Hicks on third-and-8, Zayne Andeson dropped an interception on a pass to Golden on third-and-7 and Herring broke up Taylor Elgersma’s pass to Sam Brown on third-and-7. Added together, the defense won 5-of-6. Packers Lineup Notes - With Elgton Jenkins and Aaron Banks dealing with back injuries, Green Bay’s No. 1 line consisted of Rasheed Walker at left tackle, Jordan Morgan at left guard, Sean Rhyan at center, Jacob Monk at right guard and Zach Tom at right tackle. Monk played some center; Rhyan played some right guard. - The No. 2 line frequently was Anthony Belton at left tackle, Donovan Jennings at left guard, Trey Hill at center, Travis Glover at right guard and Kadeem Telfort at right tackle. - Through three days, the preferred secondary remains Nate Hobbs and Keisean Nixon at cornerback, Javon Bullard in the slot, and Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams at safety. - Kalen King, a seventh-round pick last year who spent all of his rookie season on the practice squad, did get a bit of time with the No. 1 defense as the slot mixed in with Nixon, Hobbs, McKinney and Williams. - Sticking with the secondary, this frequently was the No. 2 group: Carrington Valentine and Kamal Hadden at corner, King in the slot, and Zayne Anderson and Kitan Oladapo at safety. Packers Training Camp Schedule After Tuesday’s workouts and three consecutive days of practice, the players will not practice on Saturday. The Packers will get back to work on Sunday and Monday, with both practices starting at 10:30 a.m. Monday’s practice will be in full pads. Quote of the Day Friday marked Mark Murphy’s final practice as team president and CEO. The moment practice ended, Murphy walked off the field, just as he’d done hundreds of times during his tenure. As he reached Armed Forces Drive, he was surrounded by fans saying thank you, good-bye and asking for autographs. What sticks out about Murphy to coach Matt LaFleur? “For me personally, just the opportunity, and the support that he's given us to allow us to do not only our job, but look at all the resources that the organization has invested back into this team. It's pretty incredible. I've never been a part of anything like this. I mean, the facilities are first class. I would say, how we travel, how we just conduct and operate on a daily basis, has been nothing short of first class.”