Nail Yakupov has signed a new contract with the Colorado Avalanche.

Well Yak, the KHL will love you in 2018-19...

Kinda surprised. I guess he isn't a lock for the Russian Olympic team.

Good investment for Colorado.

Lowest possible risk with the highest possible reward.

Now trade MacKinnon for Galchenyuk (not necessarily one-for-one), because I want to see them play together in the NHL at least once and that would also unite Drouin and MacKinnon, so it's a 2-for-1 deal for the fans.

Have the Avalanche announced new coaches yet?

They replaced Roy with Bednar last off-season, and this off-season they fired every other coach than whoever does video (Brett Heimlich) or skills (Nolan Pratt? now bench assistant?).

Yakupov signing a low one year deal is a good sign that he's humble and hungry, but it's going to need the right coach to lay out small steps and opportunities to become this year's Sam Gagner.

The other catch is not even Duchene looked good last season on that team. It's worrisome that COL hasn't made a hard deal and has spent its time puttering around with low-risk easy deals.

I know many will laugh or make jokes about this signing of a 1st overall bust... Though looking at it from Colorado's POV where they are trying to win the lottery... I like this, he can have a decent enough year where they can trade him at the deadline to get some assets... Lets say they can get a 2nd round pick that would be an A+, if can get a 4th or 5th pick it would still be a decent return on a million dollar investment .

Don't single out Duchene. Nobody, and i mean Nobody looked good on that team. There are such things as bounce back years. I hope he comes back this year with decent line mates and lights it up.

what has this 1st overall turned into