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 September 1, 2025. Now, we'll count down each of the 25 players ranked (plus one Honorable Mention).
As we at Mile High Hockey worked to build this much-anticipated Top 25 Under 25, we realized that compiling a list of 25 players might be more challenging after the Avalanche dealt a significant amount of under-25 talent last season.
Well, we have met the challenge and will start with Louka Cloutier, the netminder who's getting all set for his freshman season with Boston College. The Avalanche are more and more comfortable with developing talent in the NCAA, and that's precisely what the hope is for this young man out of Sherbrooke, QC. It's always more fun when you are developing a player from the heart of Colorado's origin story. Now, how will he do with the Eagles of Beantown?
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Cloutier is a bit of an underdog as things stand today, as he isn't ranked among the top North American netminders according to NHL Central Scouting. The goalies' list is substantially more challenging to make, with just 32 different netminders being ranked, so take that with a grain of salt.
After being drafted in the fifth round by Colorado, it's easy to deduce that scouts still need to see Louka perform against the next level at just 19 years of age, but if he's able to earn a role at BC early into his collegiate career, we should see that as a substantial step in the right direction. Boston College is not a slouch program, so if he climbs the ranks within that dynamic, his potential as an NHL goalie will grow.
Hey @espn, we have your #1 Top Play right here for you.
— Chicago Steel (@ChicagoSteel) March 2, 2024
Louka Cloutier with an overtime, game-saving glove stop like you could never imagine #FeelSteel #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/RszhXPHXaP
The challenging part with any young hockey player is projecting their potential to become regular NHL players. That already inexact science for skaters is exponentially more hit-or-miss with goaltenders. For now, we can look at why Boston College made a commitment to Cloutier and see how he builds off of that in the next couple of seasons. This analysis is from Eagle Insider:
“At 6’2”, Cloutier has some size in the net, but is much lighter than any of the goalies on the Eagles’ current roster. That mobility can be a blessing and a curse for Cloutier, as he can zip around the crease more easily but won’t fill up the frame as much as a bigger goaltender might.”
The Colorado Avalanche are no strangers to smaller-framed goaltenders and have at least one in the system already. Blackwood and Wedgewood aren't small, but Ilya Nabokov? He is absolutely a smaller yet more athletic netminder. Of course, who could forget Silly-Side cup champion Pavel Fancouz? That comfort should bring Louka some peace of mind.
