Report: Alex Galchenyuk to join Avalanche on PTO

Sep 20, 2022 - 9:05 PM

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While Nathan MacKinnon signing his massive eight-year extension was the news of the day for the Colorado Avalanche, there was a little additional nugget of information on the team’s yet-to-be-released training camp roster from Peter Baugh.

Alex Galchenyuk, who was the third overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, is looking to extend his career after ten years and 643 games played in the NHL by signing a professional try-out agreement with the Avalanche despite only being 28 years old. His last stop was the Arizona Coyotes last season where he still put up 21 points in 60 games.

A fun little nitpick with this signing is that the Avs now have had the top three picks from the 2012 NHL Draft in their team at one point or another. The three lucky participants are Galchenyuk, Nail Yakupov, and Ryan Murray.

Never known for his defensive abilities, Galchenyuk might have an uphill battle to turn that PTO into a signed contract but as always injuries will dictate need. While there are no announced absences yet, it was a short summer of recovery after winning the Stanley Cup. Also, veteran depth can make a camp more competitive on a roster short of prospects to bring in. How this all shakes out will kick off on-ice Thursday, September 22.