DENVER — Nikolai Kovalenko was called up Sunday with the 24-year-old forward making his NHL debut in Game 4 against the Winnipeg Jets.
The son of former NHL winger Andrei Kovalenko was a sixth-round draft pick by the Avalanche in 2018. He remained in Russia and became a full-time player in the KHL starting in the 2018-19 season.
Although the Avalanche have found success with first-round picks such as Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen, replicating those efforts with prospects taken beyond the first has been an issue in recent years, especially as more contenders seek reliable contributors on team-friendly deals in the flat salary cap era.
The interest in when Kovalenko would come to North America was amplified after he scored 21 goals and 54 points in 56 games with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in the KHL during the 2022-23 season.
Kovalenko scored 11 goals and 35 points in 42 games this season for Torpedo before coming to North America. He scored three points in four regular-season games with the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, and a point in two playoff games.
He was on the right wing in warmups for Sunday’s game on a line with Ross Colton at center and Miles Wood at left wing.
