The Avalanche approached Mikhail Gulyayev last year with an entry-level offer that would have allowed him to stay in the KHL last season and then come to North America, he noted to Sport 24’s Dmitry Yerkalov. However, there was a disagreement at some point in the talks, leading him to sign a two-year extension with Avangard Omsk, which begins this season.
Despite that, the 21-year-old made it clear that his intention is to make the jump to the NHL at some point but that he goes season to season in terms of determining when that might happen. Colorado drafted Gulyayev 31st overall in 2023 and he had three points in 54 KHL games last season.
Presumably, he’ll be looking to time his eventual signing to when a regular spot on the back end opens up for the Avalanche, something that isn’t available at the moment. More from the Central: Earlier this week, the Blues revealed their training camp roster with a free agent goalie among their invitees, veteran Parker Gahagen.
The 33-year-old has been a regular in the minors for the better part of a decade now, splitting time between the AHL and ECHL. Last season, Gahagen played in 37 games with ECHL Worcester, putting up a 2.47 GAA and a .916 SV%.
He also has 59 career AHL appearances under his belt over parts of eight seasons. He’ll be looking to earn a minor-league deal with a good showing in camp.
The Stars recently announced their roster for training camp. Among the 57 invitees are a pair of tryouts.
Goaltender Matthew Humphries will take part on an ATO while veteran winger Jack Becker is in camp on a PTO. Humphries went undrafted back in June after getting into 24 games with OHL Oshawa, posting a 3.73 GAA with a .888 SV%.
Becker, meanwhile, is no stranger to the system as he has played with a Dallas affiliate since 2021-22. Last season, the 29-year-old notched 40 points in 71 games with AHL Texas and will be looking to earn a deal for the upcoming season to return there.