The Colorado Avalanche have signed defenseman Noah Juulsen to a two-year contract.

Juulsen is a 29-year-old right-handed shooter. He was a first-round pick in the 2015 draft, taken at 26th overall by the Montréal Canadiens. He’s six feet two inches tall and weighs 201 pounds. Before going pro, he played with the Everett Silvertips of the WHL.

Starting in 2017, Juulsen spent three years in the Montréal system, playing 44 games in the NHL and 47 in the AHL. He spent the 2020–21 season in the Florida Panthers system, but only played nine games total: four in the NHL and five in the AHL.

After that, he moved to the Vancouver Canucks. For the first two years, he mostly played for their AHL team, the Abbotsford Canucks, scoring six goals and 30 assists in 99 games while also developing a reputation as a gritty, hard-working player. You could call him a poor man’s Josh Manson.

In the 2021-22 season, Juulsen earned the Abbotsford Man of the Year Award and was nominated for the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award as the AHL’s Man of the Year, given to an AHL player for his outstanding contributions to his local community and charitable organizations.

Playing in the NHL

Starting in the 2023–24 season, Juulsen played exclusively in the NHL for two straight seasons, scoring one goal and six assists in 85 games. He spent the 2025–26 season with the Philadelphia Flyers. He scored once and accrued nine assists in 52 games.

He also played in five Stanley Cup playoff games, scoring two assists. He had 104 hits, ranking sixth amongst all Flyers skaters.

Juulsen is a solid two-way defender who sees the ice well and controls the puck with ease. His skating is smooth, but not flashy or overly dynamic. He’s known to play with grit and attitude.