Colorado Avalanche Top 25 Under 25: #16 Max Curran
Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images
The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by Mile High Hockey staff members. Six writers have ranked players under the age of 25 in the Colorado Avalanche organization as of August 1, 2024. Now, we’ll count down each of the 25 players ranked.
Max Curran was the sixth of nine draft picks from the Colorado Avalanche in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 6’3” center out of Czechia played last season with the Tri-City Americans of the WHL and is slated to play with the team again this season.
In his first year of major junior action Curran had a solid start to his CHL career, tallying five goals and 27 assists in his 40 games before being sidelined with injury. For his home nation of Czechia he had an impressive Under-18 World Juniors with three points in five games. Curran also put up the exact same statistics at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup winning a silver medal before the season began.
Wake up the family in Czechia! Max Curran just scored his first WHL goal! pic.twitter.com/tR6vD73QOQ— Tri-City Americans (@TCAmericans) October 19, 2023
Curran’s transitioned into more of a playmaking role in North America. In his last two seasons in Czechia he tallied fifteen and twenty goals. This transition to a more assist heavy game was not by chance, however. Curran has adapted his game to become more of a facilitator.
He uses his big body and sense for the game to slow the game down or to speed it up. This versatility with the puck from someone playing their first season on the tighter North American ice is incredibly encouraging.
Curran is one of many players the Avalanche selected in the 20224 Draft that utilize their brain as their biggest attribute. While he uses it with the puck to make reads and create scoring opportunities for his teammates he also uses it to be proactive defensively.
His size and intelligence are two things that can get him into the NHL with the Avalanche. As a player drafted from the CHL he will need a contract offer within two years. If he makes it to the NHL he’s likely destined for a bottom six center role, and he has the tools for it. Max Curran is definitely a late round pick to keep your eyes on and move up our rankings.
2024 Top 25 Under 25
#17 Saige Weinstien
#T-18 Jake Fisher
#T-18 Matthew Stienburg
#20 Chase Bradley
#T-21 Louka Cloutier
#T-21 Kevin Mandolese
#23 Zakhar Bardakov
#24 Taylor Makar
#25 Maros Jedlicka
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