Ivan Ivan was one of the early-season surprises for the Avalanche, going from an undrafted free agent signing to someone who played a regular role early on before recently being sent down. However, his time in the minors is over for now as the team announced (Twitter link) that he has been recalled from AHL Colorado.
The 22-year-old spent last season on a minor-league deal with the Eagles, notching 12 goals and 19 assists in 62 games, a more than respectable showing as a rookie. That was enough for the Avs to ink Ivan to a two-year entry-level deal last March, giving them the chance to use him with the big club.
That opportunity came sooner than many expected as a strong preseason showing helped him break camp with the Avalanche. Ivan has played in 37 games with them so far this season, recording five goals and three assists while averaging 10:24 per night but hasn’t had a point since late November. He suffered an upper-body injury in late December and the Avalanche recently sent Ivan down to the Eagles to get a bit of playing time upon recovery. He got into two games with the Eagles, picking up a goal and an assist.
With Ivan’s return, Colorado is now at the maximum of 23 players on its active roster.