The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by Mile High Hockey staff members. Seven writers have ranked players under the age of 25 in the Colorado Avalanche organization as of September 1, 2026. Now, we’ll count down each of the 25 players ranked
.Name: Linus Funck
Age: 19
Position: D (RIGHT SHOT)
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 194 lbs
Likely 2026-27 Team: London Knights (OHL)
2025 Rank: #20
Final Rank: #14
High Rank: #7 (Matthew)
Low Rank: #20 (Jackie)
2025-26 Statistics:
London Knights – 65 GP, 4 G, 18 A, 22 P, 29 PIM,
+18
Our top 25 segment welcomes Linus Funck to the top 15 for the first time after a great first year in the OHL with the London Knights. This right-shot defender proved plenty productive at age 19 and with Sweden’s U20 team in 2026 and was ranked as high as #7 by our panel of writers.
The optimism surrounding this prospect isn’t unfounded as he possesses size and length on the back end that many teams pine for. He’s crafty in retrieval and breakouts and has the ability to create offensively as well. Check out his stuffed bear-inducing goal from last season:
Linus moved from Sweden to London, ON, at 18 and mentioned he missed the food back home, but he speaks and plays with confidence, especially for a young man away from family at such a young age. He describes himself as an offensive, two-way defender with the size to still throw his body around.
Linus may describe himself as an offensive defender, but what will earn him a look in the AHL and NHL is his positionally sound play. He is the type of player that a coach can trust on the back end but has a knack for activating on the rush. Sounds like a solid fit in the Bednar school of thought.
Some describe him as slightly passive, so let’s hope he starts to nurture some of the nastiness in his game. His end-to-end speed and edgework can use some advancement as well, but that’s what the development stage of a career is for, and he has plenty of runway to grow in that regard.
He has been a part of Team Sweden U17-20 and was plenty productive during his time with the national club. A good sign for Funck’s professional aspirations is his role as the top-pair guy with Malte Gustafsson, who many have dubbed an elite-level prospect.
Let’s see how his second year in the O goes and hope it earns him a look with the Eagles soon enough!
Let us know what you think of this prospect in the comments!
2026 Top 25 Under 25
#24 Axel Eloffson
#23 Teddy Lechner
#22 Ivan Yunin
#21 Luka Cloutier
#19 Shawn Carrier
#18 Domenick Fensore
#17 Tory Pitner
#16 Jake Fisher
#15 Beckett Hamilton
