Funck has spent his rookie campaign on London’s 2nd and 3rd pairings, winning most of his matchups with a team-leading plus-19 rating. His 4 goals and 22 points in 65 games isn’t eye-popping but its good enough to justify regular minutes which is good news for the big dman. There aren’t many top-end prospects guaranteed ice time on London’s blueline so he should be tested with bigger minutes next season. There’s a possibility of turning pro for 2026-27 now that he’s 19, but with similar players in the AHL already it seems more likely that he stays a little while longer in junior.

Funck is among the first cuts from Avs training camp, and has been reassigned to London of the OHL. This will be his first season in North America so it will be fascinating to see what the development gurus in London can do with this large defender. He is currently rehabbing an unspecified injury, but he skated in prospects camp and there has been no indication this will prevent him from starting the season on time.

Colorado has selected Funck in the 4th round of the 2025 draft, 118th overall. This is roughly where he was projected to go in the draft. The big 18-year-old rearguard did well in his first full season in the Swedish Junior league, racking up 28 points and 59 PIM in 48 games played. His uptick in offense is certainly welcome from a fantasy perspective, but the lean 6-03 defender has shown a good ability defensively to break up plays with his reach and move the puck forward quickly. He is expected to return to his Junior team again for 2025-26, so its premature to put any fantasy timeline on this long-term project.