2 Colorado Avalanche Prospects Who Could Get Called Up This Season

As the season gets underway, players will begin to suffer injuries as they sacrifice their bodies for the sake of their team, not to mention the ever-present concern of a positive Covid diagnosis. Eventually, there will be players who will need to miss games, and others will need to be called in to replace them in the lineup. Here are two such prospects who could see some playing time on the Colorado Avalanche this season.

Mikhail Maltsev

Acquired via trade with the New Jersey Devils, Maltsev was part of the deal that saw Ryan Graves depart from Colorado. A former 4th-round pick by the Devils in 2016, Maltsev had a sparkling start to his NHL career last season, scoring 6 goals and 9 points for the Devils in 33 games. He got a few games to make his case with the Avalanche this year but was eventually reassigned to the AHL's Colorado Eagles. Since then, Maltsev has tallied 3 goals and 11 points in 9 games and is making it difficult for Avs GM Joe Sakic to keep him off of the NHL roster. There's a lot to like about Maltsev's game, from his excellent skating and pinpoint accurate wrist shot to his all-or-nothing commitment to maintaining possession of the puck once he gets it. All that's missing is some discipline in regards to his 200-foot game, which was a big reason for the reassignment to the AHL. If he can show that he's becoming a more mature player, there's little reason for him to stay down there long.

To do this from your feet is hard enough, to do it from your knees is just crazy. Wow, Mikhail Maltsev 😲 pic.twitter.com/0srT6Z9LA7

— iPlayHockey (@iPlayHockey) September 19, 2019

Jordan Gross

A journeyman player who went undrafted in his teens, 26-year old defenceman Jordan Gross has been working for years to win himself an NHL career, and he appears to be on the cusp of reaching that goal. Signed out of the University of Notre Dame by the Arizona Coyotes, Gross had two very productive years in the AHL before spending last season on Arizona's taxi squad, getting into 7 NHL games and tallying 3 assists before he was injured in a collision with Ryan Reaves last April. He was picked up by the Avalanche last summer and has once again shown that he's probably too good a player to stay in the AHL. He's currently sitting at 3 goals and 10 points in 11 games with the Colorado Eagles, not bad for a blueliner. Right-shot DMen are a hot commodity in the NHL these days, and it makes Gross a prime candidate for a call-up should injuries strike the Avs' defence. Colorado has had a bumpy start to their season, and an older rookie battling their way into a roster spot is the kind of thing that can spark a team's chemistry and get them rolling. Gross just needs to stick to his game and be patient, and he'll get to see some NHL ice this season.

Which prospects do you think the Avs should call up this season?

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