For years on end, Nikolai Kovalenko was the guy moving forward for the Colorado Avalanche. The 25-year-old Russian forward finally made his full-season debut this year in the NHL.

With the Avalanche

Kovalenko had made appearances in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Avs. It came in Games 4 and 5 in the first round against the Winnipeg Jets. However, he did not play in the second round against the Dallas Stars.

The same year, he played four opening games in Loveland with the Colorado Eagles, where he had a goal and two assists. He also added a goal in two playoff games for them.

Since then, he has not gotten a sniff of the AHL and stayed in the league full-time. In 28 games with the Avalanche to start the year, he had four goals and four assists. He averaged 12 minutes per night and was seemingly still getting his feet wet in the NHL.

However, it wasn’t good enough from the Avs’ perspective. He was a hot-shot rookie who showed so much in the KHL. Being the son of former NHLer Andrei Kovalenko, he didn’t quite fit what Colorado was looking for. At the same time, he wasn’t given much of a chance given the circumstances.

With the Sharks

Packaged with Alexandar Georgiev and picks in the NHL Draft, Kovalenko was sent to the San Jose Sharks in December. In return, the Avalanche received their new number one netminder in Mackenzie Blackwood, Givani Smith, and a fifth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

Kovalenko dealt with injury for much of the season, so he only played in 29 games with San Jose. However, in those 29 games, he was impressive. He only scored three goals, but dished out nine assists. He enjoyed himself playing with the likes of Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith.

However, the 2024-25 season was the final year of his entry-level contract. He’s previously expressed interest in staying with the Sharks, but a deal couldn’t come together. He has since signed in the KHL, and his playing time in North America might just be done for good.