Colorado Avalanche Top 25 Under 25: #15 Colby Ambrosio

The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by members of the Mile High Hockey staff. Eight writers have ranked players under the age of 25 as of August 1, 2022 in the Colorado Avalanche organization. Each participant used their own metric of value to rank each player. Now, we’ll count down each of the 25 players ranked.

Colby Ambrosio was drafted by the Avalanche in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and has since played at Boston College, playing with Alex Newhook during his freshman year. Colby was ranked highly in some scouting reports before the draft but fell due to a perceived lack of strength and elite speed. He has since validated those who ranked him highly with a productive first two seasons in college with 37 points in a combined 62 games. Colby broke into the NCAA at just 18 years old and will go into his junior season at BC as a 20-year-old.

Ambrosio is known to create space with poignant puck handling, while his transition and rush abilities help him get the puck on the net at a very high rate. He was knocked early for lack of speed, but that doesn’t seem to be an issue. He is elite when lateral speed is required. He can race to the dot and stay in position on defense, and one can’t ask for much more in terms of pace from a fourth-rounder. He is tenacious on pucks and has the type of motor that Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar will love. Ambrosio can also play all over the lineup at center or wing and compliment top players or play a more grinding style.

I did not rank Colby Ambrosio in last year’s T25U25, and he still had his lowest rank heading into this season. It’s not that I don’t think Ambrosio has potential. It’s just that he is still such a young man. I’d expect him to play all four years at BC and soak up every ounce of experience that may bring.

2022 Top 25 Under 25

#16: Danila Zhuravlyov

#17: Andrei Buyalsky

#18: Matthew Steinburg

#19: Nikolai Kovalenko

#20 Trent Miner

#21: Keaton Middleton

#21: Wyatt Aamodt

#23: Taylor Makar

#24: Nathan Clurman

#25: Ivan Zhigalov