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Denver, CO

Blue-chip Avalanche prospect could soon join the team

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8 months ago

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Blue-chip Avalanche prospect could soon join the team


Nikolai Kovalenko is in Denver, could that mean the Russian forward could soon be joining the Colorado Avalanche?

The 24-year-old was a sixth-round pick of the Avs in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft was named the fifth-best player on Mile High Hockey’s preseason 25 under 25, placing behind players like Cale Makar and the now-traded Bowen Byram. Kovalenko is a five-foot-ten, 185-pound winger who can also play center. Playing in Russia’s KHL for Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo tallied over 100 points in 113 games including the postseason. This year with Torpedo was his seventh in the KHL, spending most of his career with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv. In the past, Kovalenko featured on Russia’s World Junior team in 2019 which won Bronze.

In recognition of Kovalenko’s standout out play Torpedo terminated their alternate captain’s contract so he could sign an entry-level deal with the Avs. Coloraod loaned him back to his Russian team for the year but now that his season in the KHL is over, Kovalenko could seemingly be days from his NHL debut. And he shared on Instagram that he landed in Denver on Sunday.

Kovalenko would be following in his father’s footsteps who not only played in the NHL but was an original member of the Avalanche, following the team from Quebec City. After just 26 games in Denver, Andrei Kovalenko was sent back to Quebec to play for Montreal in the deal that brought Patrick Roy to Colorado. Andrei tallied 147 points in 210 games with the Nordiques/Avalanche.

Toward the end of his NHL career, Andrei was on the Hurricanes which is why Nikolai was born in Carolina.

Along with scoring nearly a point a game over the past two seasons the younger Kovalenko plays a heavy game, capable of racking up hits and scrapping with opponents. With Logan O’Connor now out for the season, Kovalenko could easily slide into Colorado’s forward group, most likely he’ll start on the fourth line alongside Andrew Cogliano or Kovalenko will play along with Ross Colton and Miles Wood and bump Zach Parise down a line.

The Avalanche have 14 games left in the regular season including a five-game homestand that begins on Friday. With a game on Tuesday in St. Louis and then some time off, it seemingly makes sense to get Kovalenko integrated in the coming week. Though, it’s not unusual for NHL teams to add top prospects to their team in the middle of a playoff run, that’s how Makar made his pro debut. The Avs are making a late-season push for first, tied with Winnipeg at 91 points for the lead in the central and one point back of Vancouver for the West’s top spot.





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Denver, CO

PHOTOS: Denver Broncos beat Las Vegas Raiders, 29-19, in NFL Week 12

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8 hours ago

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November 24, 2024

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PHOTOS: Denver Broncos beat Las Vegas Raiders, 29-19, in NFL Week 12




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Denver, CO

Raiders HC Sounds Off on Broncos QB Bo Nix’s Rapid Rise

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16 hours ago

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November 24, 2024

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Raiders HC Sounds Off on Broncos QB Bo Nix’s Rapid Rise


On Sunday, fans will be treated to a head-to-head contest between two rapidly emerging offensive powerhouses, both of whom are bonafide Rookie of the Year contenders. Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix and Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers found new homes with consecutive picks during last April’s NFL draft, and since then, they’ve performed exceptionally well in the pro ranks.

Nix is firmly on the radar of Raiders head coach Antonio Piece, but that’s even more true after yet another award-winning performance last week.

“He was a winner as a freshman. He was a winner as a six-year player,” Pierce noted of Nix. “All he does is win, come in the league. Won the quarterback battle there in Denver. Maybe they were keeping them tight on the leash early on, and now they’re not. He has full control that offense. You can see that Sean Payton gives him opportunities to audible and make some adjustments. He’s making throws, he’s running with his legs, he’s taking care of the football, and he’s winning. That’s all you can ask for from a rookie.”

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Nix presents a clear and present danger to the Raiders’ chances of squeezing out what would be only their third win of their massively disappointing season. Stopping the impressive rookie is proving to be another matter entirely for NFL defenses, especially one with a badly beaten-up roster like the Raiders.

“This is crazy,” Raiders linebacker Divine Deablo said via ESPN‘s Paul Gutierrez. “I’ve never seen this amount of injuries on any team I’ve been on.”

This week, Broncos head coach Sean Payton has pumped the brakes a little on the burgeoning hype exploding around Nix. That being said, you get the distinct feeling that Payton is more than comfortable unleashing Nix’s full array of talents at his disposal. Confidence is growing in Nix, and that’s been reflected in how Payton has opened up the playbook for his first-year signal-caller.

The juices are flowing, and Payton may have found an answer in dynamic second-year receiver Marvin Mims Jr. The mystical “joker” role within the Broncos offense seems to have been filled.

“I think we always gotta be saying, ‘Hey, are we doing everything we can to highlight his strengths?’ And so, yeah, I don’t know if he’s got the ‘joker’ tattoo, but he might be invited to the club,” Payton said via Andrew Mason.

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When push comes to shove, if Nix plays lights out again, an easy win might come Denver’s way, but stopping Bowers would also ensure the victory and help in the race for Rookie of the Year honors. Payton is already on high alert, but it was also tinged with a bit of football envy when he illustrated Bowers’ “joker” abilities.

“Someone had a really good vision for him and you see all the ‘Joker’ traits, means and change of direction,” Payton said of Bowers. “It can’t be a little. It’s a high-end receiving trait and he can move, he can be outside and he can run a route tree maybe different than most tight ends.” 

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Denver, CO

Jokic and Denver take on the Knicks in non-conference play

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1 day ago

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November 24, 2024

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Jokic and Denver take on the Knicks in non-conference play


Associated Press

New York Knicks (9-7, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (9-6, fifth in the Western Conference)

Denver; Monday, 9 p.m. EST

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BOTTOM LINE: Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets host the New York Knicks in a non-conference matchup.

The Nuggets have gone 5-3 at home. Denver ranks sixth in the Western Conference with 12.0 offensive rebounds per game led by Jokic averaging 4.4.

The Knicks are 4-5 in road games. New York ranks seventh in the Eastern Conference allowing only 112.4 points while holding opponents to 47.3% shooting.

The Nuggets are shooting 47.8% from the field this season, 0.5 percentage points higher than the 47.3% the Knicks allow to opponents. The Knicks average 14.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.2 more made shots on average than the 13.1 per game the Nuggets allow.

TOP PERFORMERS: Michael Porter Jr. is averaging 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds for the Nuggets.

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Jalen Brunson is averaging 25.1 points and 7.4 assists for the Knicks.

LAST 10 GAMES: Nuggets: 7-3, averaging 118.4 points, 45.5 rebounds, 31.6 assists, 8.7 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 49.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.7 points per game.

Knicks: 6-4, averaging 120.3 points, 42.9 rebounds, 29.9 assists, 6.7 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 50.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.5 points.

INJURIES: Nuggets: Aaron Gordon: out (calf), DaRon Holmes II: out for season (achilles), Vlatko Cancar: out (knee).

Knicks: Precious Achiuwa: out (hamstring), Miles McBride: day to day (knee), Mitchell Robinson: out (ankle).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.



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