Key Takeaways
- The 20-year-old defenseman is taking forward shifts to add tools while remaining a blueliner; the aim is to let his pace and creativity translate at pro speed.
- Guy Boucher downplays Cale Makar comparisons and stresses NHL-trust habits: finish checks, block shots, box out, and make the first pass under pressure.
- With a contract through 2026 and regular contact with Colorado, the most realistic NHL window is 2026-if his defensive base keeps trending upward.
Mikhail Gulyavev at 2023 NHL draft (Photo courtesy of coloradoavalanche.com)
During Omsk’s preseason Blinov Cup, Colorado Avalanche prospect Mikhail Gulyayev took an unusual assignment: instead of skating on defense, the 20-year-old lined up at forward. He scored twice in the game, though Avangard Omsk eventually fell to Severstal in a 4–3 shootout.
At first glance, the switch might look like a positional change. But it wasn’t. For Avangard and for Gulyayev, the experiment was about adding new tools to his development—not abandoning his identity as a defenseman.
Building Versatility on the Ice
Gulyayev isn’t the biggest player by KHL standards. At 5-foot-10 and 172 pounds, he has to rely on speed, agility, and awareness to make an impact. Last season, his third in the KHL, he posted 15 points (7 goals and 8 assists) in 67 games. The Avalanche selected him 31st overall in the 2023 NHL Draft specifically because of those strengths—his skating, edgework, and knack for turning defense into offense.
Those qualities showed up immediately in his brief stint as a winger.
“It doesn’t really matter to me where I play,” Gulyayev told RG. “The main thing is getting ice time. I can play center, wing, or defense. Maybe at some points I got a little confused in the attack, but overall it went fine—I still had chances. As a kid, I sometimes played forward and even scored goals. Coaches always encouraged me to jump into the offense, and that helped me grow.”
A Coach’s Perspective
Avangard’s head coach, Guy Boucher, has been clear that the experiment isn’t about redefining Gulyayev’s role. It’s about helping him round out his game for the NHL.
When asked if comparisons to Cale Makar were fair, Boucher made his point with a laugh:
“I don’t think you want to put pressure on a kid like that… Makar (laughs). I mean, this is a completely different level. This is a kid who has good potential to be himself. Over the years, this is what I realized kills players, kills youngsters, when they are compared to other people. He needs to grow his pace to be himself. Makar is a completely different type. You can compare it to football. They have a quarterback and running backs. Makar is more of a quarterback. Guly is more of a running back, it’s not the same style at all.
Boucher’s larger message is that offensive instincts alone don’t carry young defensemen to the NHL. To earn trust, they have to master the gritty details: finishing checks, blocking shots, boxing out, and making simple plays under pressure.
“In that regard, it doesn’t matter if it’s him or other defensemen, the way to get to North America is, even if you are an offensive defenseman, you have to finish checks, you have to block shots, and you have to box out, and you have to do the basic things, so the NHL teams give you a chance. Until you get that, you are in a growing process. That’s where Guly is. He has terrific speed, he’s a great kid, he works extremely hard. He’s able to create something out of nothing. But to grow as an NHL defenseman, you need more. And he knows about it, we talked to him.”
Inside Colorado’s organization, Makar is the gold standard for the modern defenseman: elite skating, elite puck control, a Stanley Cup, and a Norris Trophy. That’s the ceiling prospects dream of.
But Boucher’s warning is clear—chasing another player’s template can backfire. Instead, the focus for Gulyayev is to become the best version of himself. The Avalanche’s coaches and scouts know the details that translate: defensive reliability, smart decisions under pressure, and the ability to keep pace with the NHL’s fastest forwards.
“Whether you are an offensive or defensive defenseman, you must be able to defend against MacKinnons, McDavids, those guys. He’s on his way there. He’s a great kid who wants to learn and is getting better. I’m looking at him at camp, and he’s already so much better than last year. I love his confidence and growth. So, my pressure won’t be giving names or models he has to follow. The pressure must be to be the best version of himself. That’s what we want from him.”
The Makar reference matters because of the standard inside Colorado’s room. Makar is the face of the modern attacking defenseman–elite skating, elite puck control, a power-play driver, a Stanley Cup winner, and a major award winner. That’s the ceiling young defensemen around the league study. Boucher’s point is simple: don’t chase someone else’s template; earn NHL trust with details that always translate–finishing checks, blocking shots, boxing out, and making the first pass under pressure.
Gulyayev says he models parts of his game after Makar and also watches Rasmus Dahlin and Erik Karlsson. He’s realistic about today’s NHL.
“I agree that the trend in hockey is moving from bigger players to smaller, faster ones, but size still matters,” he said. “For smaller guys, it can be tough to defend against big forwards. In those cases, you need to rely on other qualities: skating, skill and hockey IQ.”
Staying Connected With Colorado
The Avalanche are keeping close tabs. Goaltender Ilya Nabokov attended Colorado’s development camp this summer, and Gulyayev was invited as well, though he opted to stay in Russia to prepare for Avangard’s season.
“We’re always in touch with the club, we call and talk regularly,” he said.
He also speaks often with Boucher, who, he notes, has NHL experience and formal training in psychology. Those conversations, he says, help him improve both technically and mentally.
Inside Avangard’s dressing room, the speed is obvious. Captain Damir Sharipzyanov, whom Gulyayev calls “like a second father,” put it this way:
Looking Toward 2026
The timeline for any NHL move is set, at least for now. Gulyayev’s KHL contract runs through 2026.
He’s non-committal about what comes next—“Right now I can’t say anything concrete”—but the most realistic window for a Colorado debut would be when that deal ends.
Until then, his forward shifts should be seen as targeted reps, not a permanent position change. The goal is clear: sharpen offensive instincts, strengthen defensive habits, and prove that his pace can hold up against the best.
If that foundation keeps growing, the 2026 timeline makes perfect sense for both Avangard and the Avalanche.
