Avalanche Prospect Report: Curran, Humpherys, Zellers & More

Nikita Prishchepov’s January was much more productive than December, as many of his points came at the end of the month. In contrast, they were more evenly produced throughout January. Finishing with one goal and four assists for five points in the month, he tallied his first career shorthanded goal on Jan. 29 against the Ontario Reign.

After a very successful debut late into the season due to returning from an injury, Jean-Luc Foudy’s December shined bright on the 23-year-old, highlighted by scoring six points (one goal, five assists), including a four-game point streak that was highlighted by a two-point night on Dec. 12 against the San Diego Gulls. In January, things have gotten much worse. Producing only two assists in the entire month, he lost almost all of the shooting volume we saw back in December, totaling only ten shots on goal. 

After a disappointing December, Oskar Olausson recorded one goal and two assists, totaling three points. He bounced back a bit in January, scoring two goals and three assists for five points, which hopefully helps spark more in February. The discussion at hand, similarly with Foudy, is the lack of production past first-round picks have produced these past seasons. Unfortunately, both have dealt with injuries during their time with the Eagles. However, from a development standpoint, their names could be included in potential upcoming trades, especially Olausson, whose entry-level contract (ELC) is expiring this summer.

After a solid December that saw Trent Miner finish with a 3-3-1 record, he continued his solid production in the games he started in January. He only started in three games because he was called up to the Avalanche due to Scott Wedgewood getting injured, but in those three games, he went 1-0-2, allowing eight goals on the 96 shots he faced.

National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA)

Despite starting the month on a three-game pointless streak, Taylor Makar ended on a strong foot. He scored three goals and one assist for four points in the last four games of the month, which included a two-goal game on Jan. 31 against Northeastern University that saw Makar tally the game-winning goal to make it 2-1 and add on an empty net goal. He tied his career high in goals with ten, which he set back in the 2022-23 season with UMass.

After playing only four games in December and scoring two points, Jake Fisher struggled in January, producing only one assist in seven games. His only point came from the power play on Jan. 10 against Miami University as an assist, but he struggled to get anything else going. He has stayed somewhat aggressive, finishing with seven shots on goal in those seven games, but the lack of production on a successful team is slightly disappointing. 

Tory Pitner consistently demonstrates that his main focus is on defense. Although he did not score in January, he maintained a physical style of play while keeping his penalties minimal, with only five for the season. Pitner’s commitment to defensive fundamentals is evident in every game. His excellent positioning, well-timed pokes, physical presence, and smart tie-ups make him a strong and effective defender.

Canadian Hockey League

Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Western Hockey League (WHL)

Calum Ritchie’s January was excellent, as it has been this season, despite all of the time he has missed with the team due to being with the Avalanche to start the season or playing in the World Junior Championship. In his nine games, he scored three goals and produced 11 assists for 14 points. With 11 goals and 42 assists for 53 points in only 29 games played, Ritchie’s growth has been excellent for the Avalanche so far, and with him turning 20 years old on Jan. 21, we can maybe expect to see him with the Eagles when his season with the Generals finishes, similar to what we saw with Sean Behrens last season when he was at Denver University.

After a reasonably cool December in which Max Curran scored five points in eight games, he lit right back up in January, finishing with six goals and 13 assists for 21 points in 14 games. A standout game on Jan. 3 saw him produce four assists in a barn burner shootout win 7-6. He also had a three-point night on Jan. 31, producing one goal and two assists for three points in a loss against the Prince George Cougars.

The newest addition to the CHL section of this report is Chrisitan Humpherys. He previously played with Michigan University but signed an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the Kitchener Rangers. He struggled with Michigan and only produced one assist in ten games, but he has looked much better with the Rangers. He is now up to two goals and nine assists for 13 points in 12 games.

Russian Leagues

Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), VHL

After looking a bit rusty after returning from an injury in December and playing five games, Zakhar Bardakov has jumped right back on track where he was before the injury and continued to impress in January. In 11 games played, he finished with five goals and six assists for 11 points. Interestingly, his shooting statistics stand close to those of his teammates and recent top draft pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens, Ivan Demidov. Both share a shots-on-goal percentage of over 15%, and both average over 2.4 shots per game. He continues to impress with 17 goals and 13 assists for 33 points on the season.

After a December that saw him go on a three-goal streak, Mikhail Gulyayev cooled down in January and is back to his usual production. He finished with a goal and assist for two points in 11 games played. Those two points have helped him tie his point total (12) from last season in 64 games played. He has set career highs in goals (six) this season and is two assists away from matching the career high (eight) he set last season.

Ilya Nabokov made six starts in January and finished with a record of 4-2-0. In those six starts, he gave up 14 goals in the 190 shots he faced. Now up to an 18-14-4 record with a .924 save percentage (SV%) and 2.24 goals-against average (GAA), Nabokov’s move to North America could be coming soon. Match TV, a Russian sports media website, reports that Nabokov will be leaving the KHL for Colorado when his contract is up in May. Whether we see that report come true or not, the future of goaltending for the Avalanche looks brighter.

Other American Leagues

United States Hockey League (USHL), ECHL

After only playing two games in December, William Zellers lit up the month of January. He scored 12 goals and nine assists in ten games, for a total of 21 points. He had four multi-goal games, including two two-goal and two three-goal games. He notched his first USHL Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 12-18, finishing with eight goals and three assists for 11 points. Now up to 29 goals and 17 assists for 46 points, he not only is second on the Green Bay Gamblers in points and leads the team in goals, but he also leads the league in goals and is tied for third in points. 

Louka Cloutier has come off his seven-game losing streak, which started in November 2024 and continued into January 2025. In his second start, on Jan. 11, Cloutier finally won against the Green Bay Gamblers in a 6-2 win. He finished the month with a 1-3-1 record, which is still not great but better than his November and December records. Cloutier and the Chicago Steel continue to struggle as they sit seventh in the Eastern Conference and 14th in the league.

January marked the return of games after the December holiday break. Teams in various leagues have either reached the second half of their season or are about to enter it, so many upcoming games will be crucial as playoffs approach for numerous leagues.