Avalanche prospect hits headlines with stunning career update ahead of next season
Photo credit: NHLI / Mile High Hockey
Colorado Avalanche forward prospect Nikita Prishchepov is making headlines with a stunning career update ahead of the upcoming season, signalling that the young talent could play a major role for the organization sooner than expected.
Prishchepov was drafted in the seventh-round (217th overall) by the Avalanche in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
Avalanche prospect Nikita Prishchepov rocked with career update ahead of new season.
Jackie Kay from Mile High Hockey writes that the Russian forward was an overager from the QMJHL, entering the draft for the third time.
Given the uncertain career paths of players like Brandon Saigeon and Jeremy Hanzel, it was far from guaranteed that the Avalanche would take him seriously, or even extend a contract offer.
"As such, it was a pleasant surprise to see Prishchepov sign an Entry Level Contract at the end of training camp last year, which allowed him to play pro rather than go back to the junior for an overage season like the aforementioned previous picks.
But nobody could have predicted that nearly the last pick in the 2024 draft would play NHL games less than a year removed from the draft and through he didn't score any points he didn't look out of place and earned 10 games." -Kay
But nobody could have predicted that nearly the last pick in the 2024 draft would play NHL games less than a year removed from the draft and through he didn't score any points he didn't look out of place and earned 10 games." -Kay
Prishchepov was just one of seven players from Colorado's 2024 draft class to make their NHL debut, with the others all coming from the top 13 picks.
For his success to truly matter, the Avalanche must continue investing in his development. Appearing in ten NHL games at just 20 is impressive, but making the leap from the AHL to the NHL as the first non-top-10 draft pick in over a decade would be even more remarkable.
Prishchepov's size and style of play earned him ten NHL games at such a young-age, and they also make a realistic candidate to carve out a permanent spot at the highest level if given the chance.
"Nikita speaks to looking up to Val Nichushkin and watching him play there are a lot of similarities to how they approach the game. Prishchepov has the willingness to learn and mentality to become a forecheck monster just like his countryman." -Kay
If his skills can translate into consistent scoring, the 21-year-old Russian could become a key asset for the Avalanche, but the question remains: do the organization see it that way?
| POLL | ||
AOUT 29 | 23 ANSWERS Avalanche prospect hits headlines with stunning career update ahead of next season Does Avalanche prospect Prishchepov have a future in the NHL? | ||
| yes | 19 | 82.6 % |
| no | 4 | 17.4 % |
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