The Avalanche announced Wednesday that they’ve recalled center T.J. Tynan from AHL Colorado. It’s the corresponding transaction for Ross Colton, who landed on injured reserve yesterday.
It’ll be the first NHL action since 2021-22 for the 32-year-old Tynan, who will almost certainly enter the lineup tonight against the Lightning with no other healthy forwards available to take Colton’s spot. He’s a former third-round pick of the Blue Jackets who’s had an extremely lengthy professional career but managed only 21 NHL appearances, coming in parts of three separate campaigns with Columbus, Colorado and Los Angeles. He has just one assist and a -2 rating and is still looking for his first NHL goal.
That doesn’t take away too much from Tynan’s illustrious AHL career. The undersized pivot (5’8″, 161 lbs) has long since established himself as arguably the minor league’s top playmaker of the last decade. A two-time All-Star and two-time MVP, Tynan’s 495 assists in 647 games are tied for 12th in league history and are second among active players behind Cal O’Reilly (573 assists in 961 games). He’s led the league in assists outright on four occasions, including the last three seasons while in the Kings organization with AHL Ontario. In 2023-24, he scored just nine goals in 71 games but added 57 assists for 66 points.
Tynan previously played for the Avs organization from 2019 to 2021, playing a career-high 16 NHL games for Colorado in 2019-20. During those two years, he posted 13 goals and 69 assists for 82 points in 69 games with their AHL club. Through six games this season in his return to the Eagles, he has four assists and a -2 rating.
I’m curious if they put in a claim for Graeme Clarke as well who has been placed on waivers by the Wild. Probably close to the best option available at the moment.