The question of whether or not the Colorado Avalanche can lure Sean Behrens away from the NCAA has been answered.

Behrens, Colorado’s second round pick back in 2021, has signed his three year entry-level contract with the Avalanche. That contract won’t begin until the 2024-25 season, but he will immediately head to the Colorado Eagles on an amateur tryout. The Eagles have two games remaining until the AHL playoffs begin, so it will be interesting to see how big of a role Behrens plays for them down the stretch.

The 21 year old defenseman just finished his Junior season at Denver University, and to say he’s a winner might be underselling it just a little bit. He played a big part of the Pioneers winning two out of the last three NCAA National Championships. This past season, he played most of the year on his off-side, pairing with future top 10 draft pick Zeev Buium. Those two were consistently matched up against the top players on opposing teams, and got the job done most nights.

Behrens is undersized at just 5’10”, but can move the puck really well and is very smart positionally. I’ve said it before, but he’s got a little bit of Devon Toews in his game. He’s not a very physical guy, which isn’t a surprise given his height, but his stick-work is fantastic. He’s also not afraid to put his body on the line, as he blocked a ton of shots this past season. His offensive numbers haven’t really improved all that much for the Pioneers, so there is a question of how much offense he’ll be able to provide at the next level.

It’s a big signing for the Avalanche, as Behrens could have gone back for his Senior season at DU. If he had done that, he could have easily become an unrestricted free agent next summer. That’s not a concern anymore.

Stay tuned to CHN for all your Avalanche updates, as we’re headed to Winnipeg tomorrow to cover the first two games of round one.