Morning Flurries: Nikita Prishchepov signs Entry Level Contract

There was a series of moves Sunday in preparation of the new season.

Even with all the roster and salary cap transactions needed during this very busy time of the year for the Colorado Avalanche front office, they still managed to find the time to get one more piece of business completed and that was signing their first player from the 2024 draft class to a three-year Entry Level Contract.

Selected at 217th overall Nikita Prishchepov was a pleasant surprise during rookie and main camp with his physical play and ability to help facilitate offense. Once the 20-year old was reassigned to the Colorado Eagles and not back to his team Victoriaville in the QMJHL it was clear that the young forward had left an impression. He even helped create the first goal of the preseason with a great forecheck.

Prishchepov could have stayed with the Eagles under a AHL contract but the organization choosing to make a commitment with a NHL deal is a nice reward for a great showing at his first camp with the organization. The Russian was set to play an overage year in junior after a three year career in the QMJHL putting up 67 points in 63 games most recently in the 2023-24 season. Clearly there was enough maturity and tools in his game to make the jump to pro hockey at this juncture.

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There was another significant transaction as the Avalanche traded depth from their defense in Erik Brännström to the Vancouver Canucks for Tucker Poolman and a 2025 fourth round pick. Poolman is not expected to play again in his career and therefore this is a move to maximize his $2M cap hit as LTIR. How exactly the Avalanche go about this will be revealed in the coming days.

To get caught up on the end of the offseason and get ready for puck drop on opening night, check out the latest Peak Access video from the team.