The Colorado Avalanche have reassigned six players to the Colorado Eagles, making the team’s first round of cuts today. Most players on two-way or AHL contracts are not surprising. As expected, the team assigned Ivan Zhigalov to the Tri-City Storm of the USHL.
D.J. Busdeker
D.J. Busdeker signed a one-year AHL contract with the Eagles on July 24 after playing the last three years with the Rockford IceHogs. A small, gritty forward, Busdeker did not play in either of the two preseason games played thus far. Busdeker will bring some heavy style of play to the Eagles’ middle six or bottom six this season.
Gianni Fairbrother
On June 27, the Avalanche gained Gianni Fairbrother from the Montreal Canadiens for Alex Newhook. Fairbrother returns to play after a knee injury sidelined him for over a season. He is unlikely to play for the Avalanche due to the team’s defensive depth, even though he is on a two-way contract. He played in last night’s contest against the Vegas Golden Knights, managing one shot in 17:50 of ice time.
Kyle Mayhew
A University of Denver graduate, Mayhew won a national championship with the Pioneers in 2022. He signed a two-way AHL contract with the Eagles when he left the Pioneers and played no games this preseason. He will more than likely end up reporting to the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL because of the depth at the AHL level.
Cedric Pare
A fast-working centerman, Cedric Pare could secure himself an AHL contract last season and then signed an extension on June 7. Pare was able to grab the attention of management when he took hold of an opportunity from a call up from Utah. His performance was nothing but spectacular, as he likes to crash the net and has an accurate snapshot. He will probably see time in the Eagles’ top nine.
Ryan Sandelin
Ryan Sandelin is coming into his last year of his AHL contract after playing four years at Minnesota State University (Mankako). There he helped win two CCHA championships. He is a forward at camp who has been recognized for his speed and positioning.
Dalton Smith
In the last year of his AHL contract, Dalton Smith is trying to come back from a year racked with injuries. He unfortunately played just six games for the Eagles last season with no points. However, he made his role clear by accumulating 32 penalty minutes in those six games. He will look to have a bounce-back year this season.
Ivan Zhigalov
The Avalanche drafted the young goaltender 225th overall in 2022 and scheduled him to play for a Belarusian team in the KHL this season. After finding out that he would not be that team’s primary goalie, they mutually agreed to part ways and Zhigalov landed with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL. He spent the last season with the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL, posting a 16–24–1 record with a .889 save percentage.