The Colorado Avalanche rookies will take the ice Friday morning at Family Sports Center for the first official team-led skate of the 2026-27 season.
They’ll have just one day of practice before heading to San Jose for two games at the rookie tournament.
This year’s roster, which you can find below, is arguably the most skilled group the Avalanche have brought to this tournament in years. There are several players worth keeping an eye on, but here are four who could make the biggest impression.
It’s difficult to put too much pressure on an undrafted college free agent, but there’s plenty to watch with Hughes after the Avalanche signed him to a one-year deal following his senior season at Michigan.
At 24 years old, Hughes enters the season as one of the older rookies around the NHL. He’s a versatile forward who can play both center and wing, while his hard-working style could make him a favorable option for head coach Jared Bednar.
The Avalanche need young forwards who can eventually push for NHL jobs, and Hughes arguably has the highest ceiling of any of them. Given what the rookie tournament meant for fellow Michigan alumnus Gavin Brindley 12 months ago, Hughes will have an opportunity to make a strong first impression before main camp begins.
Like Hughes, Nabokov is entering his first NHL season with more professional experience than the average rookie. At least for goalies.
The Avalanche view the 23-year-old as an important piece of their future. How he performs at the rookie tournament and into main camp could help determine where he stands within the organization heading into his first full North American season.
Nabokov is expected to spend most of the season with the Colorado Eagles, but even his playing time in the AHL isn’t necessarily guaranteed. With Trent Miner already established in Colorado, Nabokov will have to perform to earn his opportunities under new AHL coach Jussi Ahokas.
You have to wonder where Sean Behrens would be in his development had an injury not kept him off the ice for the entire 2024-25 season.
That was supposed to be his first full year as a professional. Instead, Behrens spent the season rehabbing before returning last year to play for the Eagles.
The Avalanche selected Behrens in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft and watched him develop just up the road at the University of Denver before he made the jump to the professional ranks.
This camp will be another important step for Behrens as he continues working toward a possible NHL opportunity.
Also an undrafted college free agent, DiMarsico signed a two-year contract with the Avalanche out of Penn State in March.
He doesn’t necessarily have the same hype surrounding him as Hobey Baker finalist Hughes, but DiMarsico remains an under-the-radar forward worth watching.
In the handful of media availabilities Joe Sakic has done since last season ended, DiMarsico is a player the Avalanche president of hockey operations and general manager has repeatedly mentioned as a young forward who could compete for ice time.
That says a lot about how the organization views the 22-year-old.