Fans blindsided as Avalanche officially claim young talented defenseman off waivers
Photo credit: Sergei Belski / Imagn Images
In a move that caught fans off guard, the Colorado Avalanche made headlines on Friday by officially claiming young defenseman Ilya Solovyov off waivers.
The 25-year-old blueliner, who brings size and steady defensive play, wasn't expected to land in Denver, leaving fans stunned as the Avalanche continue to shape their roster ahead of opening night.
Avalanche make bold move by claiming defenseman Ilya Solovyov off waivers from the Calgary Flames.
Aarif Deen from Colorado Hockey Now writes that Solovyov, 25, stands at 6'3" and 208 pounds. A towering presence on the blue line, he was originally selected in the seventh round of the 2020 NHL Draft by the Calgary Flames.
The Colorado Avalanche have claimed defenseman Ilya Solovyov from the Calgary Flames off of waivers. He has 15 games of NHL experience with the Flames in the last 3 seasons. He has 229 AHL games under his belt and is a LHD.
Last season, Solovyov suited up in just five regular-season games for the Calgary Flames, after appearing in 10 contests during the 2023-24 campaign.
A left-shot defenseman, Solovyov now provides the Avalanche with some much-needed depth on the left side of their blue line as the team finalizes its roster.
Solovyov's size, physical edge, and left-shot versatility give the Avalanche an extra layer of insurance on the back end, strengthening their overall defensive depth for the grind of the season.
If he can carve out a steady role, Solovyov could prove to be a sneaky valuable addition that bolsters Colorado's blue line as they push for another championship run.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 3 | 26 ANSWERS Fans blindsided as Avalanche officially claim young talented defenseman off waivers Do you think defenseman Ilya Solovyov will crack the Avalanche's opening night roster? | ||
| yes | 12 | 46.2 % |
| no | 14 | 53.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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