Avs Notebook: Season Opener Announced, Draft Thoughts, Stamkos and More

The Avs open the 2024-25 season in Vegas against the suddenly depleted Golden Knights, on Oct. 9. The Avs’ home opener is Oct. 12 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

That was part of the news dump from today, which will be the last “newsy” day of the NHL summer. Now, two and a half long months of not much happening.

I haven’t said anything on the Avs’ draft from the weekend, mostly because I don’t know much of anything on any of the kids they selected. It was newsworthy, though, that they took a goalie with their first pick (No. 38), Ilya Nabokov. who was the playoff MVP in the KHL playoffs this past season.

Nabokov, at 6-1, is 21 years old and already has “pro” experience with the KHL, so I think this is a nice gamble by the Avs. He is the highest-selected goalie in a draft by the Avs since they took Marc Denis in the first round in 1995.

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