First round draft pick refuses to report to NHL team
Photo credit: TSN
According to new reports surfacing online, Colorado Avalanche prospect Mikhail Gulyayev is refusing to report to their AHL team.
The Avalanche selected Mikhail Gulyayev 31st overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, and he played last season in the KHL. The Avalanche are wishing to bring him to North America to play in the AHL, but Gulyayev is refusing the assignment, saying he won't come across unless it's for the NHL.
"My path to the NHL is to come and play right away. I'm pursuing my dream and am not interested in anything else. I'm not against the AHL; it's a good league, but if I go to America to play, I will only play in the NHL."
- Mikhail Gulyayev
- Mikhail Gulyayev
Anytime a team drafts a player from Russia, getting them over to North America can be a concern. To hear Gulyayev make these demands to be put on the NHL roster immediately is very concerning, and it may create some issues with his future with the Colorado Avalanche. The Winnipeg Jets are in a very similar situation with Rutger McGroarty, who is demanding NHL ice time before the team has deemed him ready, forcing him to request a trade.
Gulyayev is a speedy, scoring left shot defenceman. In the MHL last season, he scored 25 points in 22 games, and was promoted to the KHL in 2023-24. If another team believes he's NHL ready and is willing to risk trading for him, perhaps Gulyayev gets moved in the coming weeks.
Source: Colorado Hockey Now
| POLL | ||
AOUT 9 | 219 ANSWERS First round draft pick refuses to report to NHL team Do you think Gulyahev will be traded from the Colorado Avalanche? | ||
| Yes, they will trade him | 90 | 41.1 % |
| No, they'll call him to the NHL | 27 | 12.3 % |
| No, he won't ever play in the NHL | 89 | 40.6 % |
| See Results | 13 | 5.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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