The Colorado Avalanche have always been known for their need to bolster goaltender depth. With Pavel Francouz joining as a scout, the club’s goaltending strategy has changed. Colorado has excelled at discovering talented undrafted players like Isak Posch and selecting goalies such as Ilya Nabokov.

Monday, that trend may continue as the Avalanche have signed Nikita Novosyolov to a two-year entry-level contract. Novosyolov

The 21-year-old spent last season in the VHL, or All-Russian Hockey League, also known as the Supreme Hockey League. It is the second-best league in Russia to the KHL, or equivalent to the AHL. Novosyolov played for Gornyak-UGMK and posted a 22–10–8 record last season. He also had a 2.10 goals-against average with a .932 save percentage. Novosyolov also had three shutouts to his credit.

Novosyolov has competed for the Avtomobilist program for the last four seasons. He’s registered a 36–15–13 career record in the VHL with a 2.16 goals-against average, a .932 save percentage and six shutouts over 67 games from 2023–26. Novosyolov also played 79 regular-season games in Eurasia’s junior circuit (MHL) and compiled a 39–26–7 record, a 2.34 goals-against average, a .925 save percentage and eight shutouts from 2022–25.

Significance

What this should do for the Avalanche, assuming that he comes to North America right away, is fill the ranks completely. The Avalanche are set for their goaltenders in Denver with Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood. The Colorado Eagles will have Trent Miner and Nabokov. Isak Posch and Novosyolov will head further south, to the newly established New Mexico Goatheads of the ECHL. It would be the first time since the 2023-24 season that the Avalanche have had all six spots filled by their contracts. This could be the start of a new relationship with the Goatheads that the Avalanche have not had with an ECHL affiliate in some time.