Avalanche young star rocked with massive career update ahead of new season
Photo credit: Jamie Sabau / NHLI
With the NHL season right around the corner, a new report details a stunning career update concerning Colorado Avalanche young star forward Ivan Ivan.
One of the biggest surprises of last season was Ivan making the Avalanche's opening night roster and playing 40 games in the first half.
New report reveals career update on Ivan Ivan.
Jackie Kay from Mile High Hockey writes that with injuries depleting the Avalanche lineup, Ivan was trusted with third-line minutes and held his own, chipping in eight points and adding a spark on the second power-play unit.
At one point, Jared Bednar even declared him an "NHL player," a statement reinforced by strong underlying analytics.
"Then the Avalanche decided to remake their roster and paired Ivan with the literal worst player in the NHL by expected goals (22.68%) in Givani Smith. A minor injury gave the Avalanche the excuse to send Ivan to the Colorado Eagles even as he still had a 51.49% expected goals after his run on the fourth line with sub-replacement level players.
Ivan wasn't as productive as one would have hoped in Loveland with just 12 points in 36 games. Part of it was getting used to the lack of structure in the AHL, surely some loss of confidence but also a diminished offensive role on the Eagles with minimal power play opportunity played a part as well." -Kay
Ivan wasn't as productive as one would have hoped in Loveland with just 12 points in 36 games. Part of it was getting used to the lack of structure in the AHL, surely some loss of confidence but also a diminished offensive role on the Eagles with minimal power play opportunity played a part as well." -Kay
Calling the upcoming season pivotal for Ivan would be an understatement. Entering the final year of his entry-level contract after three years in the organization, he already brings NHL experience, versatility, and defensive reliability suited for a bottom-six role.
That makes him a strong candidate to secure a full-time spot by year's end. The concern, however, is whether Colorado once again opts to reshape its bottom lines though rentals and trades at the deadline, a move that could block Ivan's path and leave his future with the team in question heading into the 2025-26 season.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 4 | 17 ANSWERS Avalanche young star rocked with massive career update ahead of new season Do you think Avalanche forward Ivan Ivan will stay in the NHL all of next season? | ||
| yes | 14 | 82.4 % |
| no | 3 | 17.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
