Prishchepov accumulated 22 games played and managed 12 points in that span, but he has suffered another lower-body injury and has been out of the lineup for a month. His modest scoring and energetic game have solidified him as a full-time AHLer with NHL upside, but that only exists if he can stay healthy for more than a few months at a time. He has one year left on his ELC to do so if he doesn’t return in time for AHL playoffs this season.

A lower-body injury kept Prishchepov out of action until November, and through his first nine games of action this year he’s managed three assists and 16 PIM (boosted by a single roughing call with a 10-minute misconduct attached). The energetic forward has been able to provide solid physical play with some PK time, while also finding room around the slot when in the offensive zone. As a fantasy asset his value will rely on him putting up hits because his other peripheral stats have not yet hit notable levels.

Prishchepov played out the rest of his rookie pro campaign in the AHL, managing a respectable 22 points in 38 PIM in 48 outings. He played primarily in the middle-six and ran extremely cold at times, so his fantasy future will depend on him turning into a reliable depth piece who can provide peripherals when he’s not hitting the scoresheet. He will be on the call-up shortlist for 2025-26 but his stint last season won’t necessarily give him top priority.

As the Avalanche faced an unprecedented number of injuries to their forward corp, Prishchepov was recalled for 10 games, becoming just the 3rd player from the 2024 draft to make his NHL debut. This was clearly a rushed move for a player who was not yet ready from a development perspective, but who was at least more physically prepared for the big leagues than some other options. He went pointless in 10 games with just 4 SOG and 10 hits in that span. His AHL rookie campaign has been more successful, where he currently sits at 10 points in 16 games and is putting up reasonably consistent shooting totals while getting some powerplay time. He is still a longshot for any fantasy relevance, but the 7th-round pick got a nice boost due to unfortunately team circumstances.

The Avalanche have signed Prishchepov to a 3-year ELC, and the 20-year-old will begin his pro career with the AHL Eagles this season.