Avalanche Recall Ivan Ivan

The Avalanche have recalled forward Ivan Ivan from AHL Colorado, per the NHL’s media portal. With Ross Colton, Gabriel Landeskog, and Artturi Lehkonen still sidelined, the Avs will dress 12 forwards and six defensemen tonight against the Stars after going 11 and seven in the last three games without Colton.

Technically, it’s Ivan’s sixth recall of the season. The last five came in an 11-day span in January, while Ivan was recalled only on game days and sent down in between. While that used to be a common practice, it’s no longer permitted if the player isn’t logging at least one AHL appearance between each recall. That meant Ivan was playing quite a lot of hockey that month as the Avs’ and Eagles’ game and travel schedules lined up favorably.

The Avs have opted to use a bare-minimum roster all season long. They’ve gone 11-and-seven on multiple occasions because of it, but when they’ve opted to have a 12th forward when stressed by injuries, Ivan has been part of a loose rotation between himself, Jason Polin, Tristen Nielsen, and a few others. The 23-year-old has suited up seven times between call-ups this year, registering one assist, a +2 rating, four shots, and two hits while averaging just 7:45 of ice time per game. He’s played much more infrequently after injuries above him got him into 40 NHL games as a rookie last year, in which he put up a 5-3–8 scoring line with a -9 rating.

It hasn’t been a great year in the minors for Ivan, either. He’s been limited to seven goals and 19 points in 55 AHL games. Considering he had 31 points in 67 games as a first-year pro on an AHL deal with Colorado two seasons ago, that’s a considerable step back. With his entry-level contract expiring, that offensive regression has him at risk of being non-tendered, especially as he’ll be eligible for arbitration and Colorado might want to avoid that award.