{"id":594034,"date":"2026-02-16T12:54:17","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T12:54:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/594034\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T12:54:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T12:54:17","slug":"avalanche-mailbag-4-0-the-plan-for-gulyayev-is-oconnor-going-to-play-this-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/594034\/","title":{"rendered":"Avalanche Mailbag 4.0: The Plan For Gulyayev; Is O’Connor Going To Play This Year?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tQuestion from Joe Cerwinske<\/p>\n

Assuming they don\u2019t trade him, what do you think the plan is for Mikhail Gulyayev this season and beyond? Could he sign an ELC after his KHL season ends, and maybe practice with the Avs during the playoffs \u2013 and possibly be an injury fill-in? I know there\u2019s still a lot of excitement about him, even if his current season has been uneven.<\/p>\n

Aarif\u2019s Response<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a bummer he\u2019s had such a tough season. I thought this would be the year he breaks out and excites the organization, but that hasn\u2019t been the case. He\u2019s still only 20 years old and has plenty of time to develop.<\/p>\n

I do wonder if the Avs decide to sign him to an entry-level contract this year, just so they can monitor his development with the AHL\u2019s Colorado Eagles.<\/p>\n

If he\u2019s with the Avs during the playoffs, it would be because they\u2019ve made a deep run, he\u2019s a black ace, and he\u2019s there just for the experience. But even that is highly unlikely given some of the other guys in the AHL they\u2019d call up before him.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t see any scenario where he\u2019s an injury fill-in this year. Nikolai Kovalenko could barely crack six minutes of ice time during the 2024 playoffs and he\u2019s a forward and had a great year in the KHL. Gulyayev is a smaller defenseman and hasn\u2019t been all that great.<\/p>\n

Question from Jeff Odgers<\/p>\n

Is there any way to find out what is going on with LOC? Will he play this regular season? In the playoffs? Ever? He could help solve a lot for this team.<\/p>\n

Aarif\u2019s Response<\/p>\n

Jared Bednar provided an update on Logan O\u2019Connor just before the break. It was still pretty vague but it seemed more positive. You can read the full update here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the key part of the update:<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s back on the ice, making progress. So that\u2019s good,\u201d Bednar told reporters after practice. \u201cHe\u2019ll be a guy who uses this break to his advantage. He\u2019s planning on getting on the ice, staying on the ice, and working his way back to hopefully joining the team in the near future if everything goes well.\u201d<\/p>\n

From what Bednar said, it sounds like they still have high hopes that O\u2019Connor will be healthy and an option at some point. I\u2019m not sure if that\u2019s before the trade deadline, after, or in the playoffs. It\u2019s no question that the Avs miss him.<\/p>\n


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