The Colorado Avalanche are still a rebuilding team. Lately, they’ve been drawn toward college players, either those who’ve pledged to spend at least one year in the NCAA program or who have lasted into college free agency.
Sometimes teams draft a college-bound player only to see him complete his four years of NCAA service and sign with another team when he becomes a free agent in August. However, if an NCAA player has gone through two drafts without getting called and is at least 20 years old, he can sign with an NHL team when his current college season ends.