There is one thing that a minor league hockey fan can count on every summer: high turnover in the AHL. As the NHL team retools and the AHL team rebuilds, some may come into the next season looking completely different. That is the case for the Colorado Eagles this summer. They have been gutted because of free agency and trades. All the trades have been to restock the draft capital, but have hurt the Eagles in the long run.

The losses

The Eagles have lost 11 skaters since June 10th who produced 294 points last season. Three players went to the San Jose Sharks on the same day. Colorado’s top point producer, Alex Barre-Boulet, with 70 (26g/44a), left for a two-year deal with the Sharks. He brought one of the Eagles’ best penalty killers along with him, Tye Felhaber (15g/16a).

Jack Ahcan will surely have the biggest impact. He played in every situation for the Eagles on the blue line and tallied 50 points (11g/39a). Ahcan controlled the power play, killed penalties, and was a threat at even strength. He followed the Colorado Avalanche’s general manager, Chris MacFarland, to the Nashville Predators. Ahcan will play alongside Chase Bradley (9g/3a), who was traded to the Preds with Jack Drury after the season ended.

Fan favorites Jacob MacDonald (4g/8a) and T.J. Tynan (3g/47a) both ended their second tenure with Colorado. Both players will head out East to Hershey (WSH) and Springfield (STL), respectively. This will not only leave a points gap to fill, but a leadership gap. Both MacDonald and Tynan have been voices on and off the bench and seen as mentors on a team full of young players.

Why did everyone jump ship?

One of the biggest reasons that players all left could have been failure to negotiate new contracts. Ahcan, MacDonald, Tynan, Felhaber, and Barre-Boulet were all on two-way contracts. The Avalanche may have wanted to simply move on. Another reason could have been that head coach Mark Letestu left the organization. He left for a position in the NHL, and the spot is now vacant, so players do not know who they are going to play for in the fall.

What have the Eagles gained?

The Eagles have gained only five potential players back on the roster so far. Last season they totaled only 137 points in production. So Colorado must have a ton of faith in them. The “star” among them is Adam Beckman. Last season he was a 30-goal scorer with Bridgeport (NYI) and added 21 assists. His release is consistent, and he can attack from the slot.

Colorado has also been concentrating on adding grit over points with Yanick Turcotte and Vinnie Hinostroza. Niether will bring many points to the board. But Turcotte can bring the fighting game back to Colorado. Hinostroza will bring some leadership to the young core.

The biggest additions on the blue line will be Domenick Fensore, who acts as an Ahcan replacement, and Christian Wolanin, a legacy addition. Wolanin won the Calder Cup in 2025 with Tristen Nielsen, so together they can bring some experience to the team.

Colorado will have some ground to make up in production if it wants to remain competitive in the Western Conference. If they want to recruit players to Loveland, the next thing on the agenda needs to be hiring a head coach and fast.