Sven Andrighetto

Following a promising 19-game stretch with the Avalanche after he was traded to the club from Montreal in 2016-17, anticipation was high to see how he would follow it up. Andrighetto didn't light up the scoresheet during his second season in Denver, but he did total a career-high 22 points -- eight goals and 14 assists -- over 50 tilts. Injuries held him out of a number of games, but even when he was on the ice, he struggled his way to a minus-15 rating and just 13 points during even strength action. Andrighetto's presence on the power play leaves room for improvement, but limited ice time likely caps his ceiling.

Andrighetto found a new offensive gear after being traded from the Canadiens to the Avalanche last season, piling up five goals and 11 assists in 19 games with his new club. The 24-year-old’s 28 points in 83 previous NHL appearances suggest he won't come close to matching that pace this year, but his outburst earned him a two-year, $2.8 million deal to stay in Colorado. There’s room for Andrighetto among the top-six forwards on this young Avalanche team, though the speedy winger’s value would dry up quickly if he’s unable to carve out such a role.

The 23-year-old Andrighetto bounced between AHL St. John’s and Montreal, last year producing a combined 40 points in 70 games at the two levels. He eventually stuck with the Habs after a February call-up and produced 12 points in his final 23 games. A favorable placement in a top-six environment fueled that late-season scoring surge and put him in position to challenge for a spot when the 2016-17 season drops. However, the offseason addition of Alexander Radulov likely means Andrighetto will be looking at a spot on the third line, where he can provide depth scoring and step into any temporary top-six openings. Head coach Michel Therrien sheltered him on the defensive side to some degree last season, as Andrighetto had 64 percent of his starts in the offensive zone. If he’s going to have a full-time role this year, he’ll need to prove he can play effectively in all three zones.

Signed a one-year contract with the Canadiens in June of 2016.

Andrighetto thrived in his first season in the AHL, finishing second on Hamilton in points with 44 in 64 games. He likely would have led the Bulldogs in the category, but he missed a month with a lower-body injury. He's got great hands and is a gifted puck-handler, though he handles it too much at times. We're unsure how his 5-foot-9 frame will handle the rigors of the NHL, as he can be easily knocked off the puck. But small guys have survived before, using speed and shiftiness. And Andrighetto has both qualities. He should return to Hamilton for the 2014-15 season and skate on the Bulldogs' top line.

Andrighetto, a third-round draft pick in 2013, signed a three-year entry level deal with Montreal in July 2013. He's another small-ish forward the Canadiens seem to favor (another Smurf?), but that doesn't discount his production at every level going back to his days in the Swiss "U" leagues. Since coming to North America two years ago, he's totaled 172 points (67 goals and 105 assists) in 115 games for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of QMJHL. Now 20, Andrighetto will move up to the professional leagues and play for the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League in 2013-14.