Avalanche recall pair of players, including former first-round pick

The Colorado Avalanche have recalled forward Riley Tufte and defenseman Caleb Jones. Both players started the season with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, where Tufte has scored six goals and eight points in six games and Jones has scored four points in eight games.

With this recall, Jones gets the chance to earn a roster spot on his third NHL team. If he does, this season will become his sixth in the NHL. Jones was originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Draft, earning his NHL debut three years later in the 2018-19 season. He became a solid member of the Oilers blue line in 2019-20, playing in 43 games and scoring nine points in his rookie year. He stayed for one more season in Edmonton before being sent to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Duncan Keith and Tim Soderlund. Jones played his most NHL hockey with the Hawks, combining for 124 games and 31 points for the club over two seasons. But he’s now struggling to find an NHL roster spot, earning a minor league assignment with Colorado to start the 2022-23 season.

Tufte’s scoring has been very impressive through the early season, as he’s currently tied for third in goals in the AHL despite playing fewer games than anyone else in the top 10. He’s received 13 NHL games between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, scoring his first NHL goal but failing to net any other points. The 2016 first-round pick joined Colorado via free agency this summer, signing a one-year, $775K contract that he’ll look to earn with this NHL recall.