Last season, hard-nosed forward Matt Stienburg’s stock was on the rise. In only his second full season as a professional, he received a call-up that every kid dreams of. He got the call to make his NHL debut with the Colorado Avalanche on October 16, 2024, after only playing two games with the Colorado Eagles that season. Stienburg played well, too, and drew the attention of head coach Jared Bednar so much that he kept him in the NHL lineup for eight games.

Stienburg saw his time end with the Avalanche after a hit against Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Černák that would bring a two-game suspension. The Avalanche immediately reassigned him to the Eagles, where he sustained an injury in his first period back against the Texas Stars (DAL).

It has been a battle for Stienburg ever since. He made it back into the Eagles’ lineup at the end of the 2024-25 season in time to play two regular season games. Of the nine playoff games the Eagles played, he could play in only three.

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Stienburg’s injury problems have been… a problem, to say the least. Injuries have sidelined the Cornell graduate for months on three occasions including an 18-game senior year and an entire missed season in 2020-21 partly due to the pandemic but also because he suffered a broken leg on a blocked shot while playing in the BCHL. Stienburg overcame a serious condition of osteomyelitis in his shoulder over decade ago as well. Currently he is dealing with another injury after missing out on the first two months of the AHL season. Stienburg has played in 20 regular-season games in a season and a half for the Avalanche and Eagles.

Stienburg occupies the grinder, heavy-hitter role when playing. He displays a very celebrated throwback style unafraid of anyone, willing to drop the gloves and dish out hard hits. He can also pose as a scoring threat within the AHL. Stienburg just has to be healthy to do it and may not have the size or frame to play the way he wants to.

In the near future, Stienburg’s contract concludes at the end of this season, so strong statistics would aid his re-signing. This summer, Stienburg will become a Group-6 UFA. This means that he has played three professional seasons, is over the age of 25, has played fewer than 80 NHL games and can walk as a free agent. His health will be a big driver of his next contract. The past two seasons have shown that Stienburg is having issues playing the type of heavy game he likes to and maintaining his body. So, could this be the end of Matt Stienburg in Colorado?