Martin Kaut relocated to Colorado Eagles
The 20 year old forward had played 8 games with the Colorado Avalanche before the relocation to the Eagles. He scored two goals and was only apart of one loss in his time with the Avalanche, an OT heartbreaker against the Ducks.
Martin Kaut was drafted 16th overall in the 2018 NHL entry draft by the Avalanche. Kaut was not dropped down to the AHL due to his play. The first round draft pick is still on his entry level contract and it is likely that the Avalanche relocated him back to the minors to save more time on his ELC.
Kaut is a player with a lot of potential and could potentially become available for the Seattle expansion team to draft were he to play for two years in the NHL beforehand. Players with under two years of NHL experience are not eligible to be drafted by the new expansion team.
The Avalanche relocating Kaut to the minors keeps him safe from the expansion draft is a smart move in the long run. Short run it’s a bummer because Kaut was fun to watch and the Avalanche are dealing with a lot of injuries. Kaut’s play was good enough to fill in for some injured players but his potential in the long run is more important.
The Avalanche are expected to see Mikko Rantenan, Nazem Kadri, and Phillip Grubauer back on the ice mid March.