Morning Flurries: Avalanche hire two from Pittsburgh Penguins

A new Director of Amateur Scouting and Head of Strength and Conditioning head west.

Summer is the time for change in the NHL and the Colorado Avalanche have followed suit poaching two members of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization as Kyle Dubas continues to clean house in the Steel City.

The Avalanche were in the market for a new Director of Amateur Scouting after the departure of Wade Klippenstein and have found their replacement in Nick Pryor. He was at the helm of Pittsburgh’s three most recent draft classes so it is tough to judge the early returns of his work. Curiously though his highest pick 2023 14th overall WHL center Brayden Yager still hasn’t been signed by the organization yet.

For the other hire, Alexi Pianosi will be Colorado’s new Head Strength and Conditioning Coach. The move was clearly influenced by his work with Nathan MacKinnon as Pianosi was previously part of the Halifax Mooseheads and had worked with MacKinnon in the offseasons.

Elsewhere, former Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson joined a new program teaching players and recent retirees the ropes for a possible second career in broadcasting. Also in attendance was potential Avalanche fourth line center Chris Wagner.

From yesterday, there was a tidbit from former defenseman Nikita Zadorov that he was apparently offered an opportunity to come back to Colorado but he took a very lucrative offer from Boston instead.