Avalanche Make First Round Of Cuts

The Colorado Avalanche have made their first round of cuts, and based on what we’ve seen to date, there are no real surprises.

The surprise may come when you look at who they didn’t cut.

Below are the cuts the Avalanche have made, and I expect injury cuts to come soon after what Jared Bednar had to say today.

The Avs have made their first round of cuts below. pic.twitter.com/RhOGEMDlUo

— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) September 26, 2023

If there is a mild surprise, it’s Gianni Fairbrother. I thought he looked pretty good last night against Vegas, but he was never in contention for a roster spot in Colorado.

The real interesting part with these moves is who didn’t get cut. Maros Jedlicka, Ivan Ivan, and Jeremy Hanzel are sticking around, and that speaks to how well they’ve played. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar singled out Jedlicka and Ivan last night when asked who impressed him, and I loved Hanzel‘s game.

Ivan is playing on an AHL deal, while Jedlicka and Hanzel don’t have NHL contracts. Jedlicka has a job back in Slovakia waiting for him, and I’d be a little surprised if he signed his entry-level deal. Hanzel, on the other hand, may have a chance after today. The fact that they cut Fairbrother, while keeping Hanzel around, is great news for the 20 year old defenseman. That’s one defenseman he has potentially leaped on the depth chart, which is what he would need to do to get AHL ice time.

It’s possible the Avalanche make more moves before Thursday’s game in Minnesota, but I’d expect the next round of big cuts to come after that game.