Andrei Mironov, the Russian defenseman taken in the fourth round by Colorado in 2015, is on his way to North America.
Per Russian news outlet Championat, Mironov has opted to leave Dynamo Moscow in the hopes of cracking the Avs roster. The 22-year-old appeared in 19 games for Dynamo last season, scoring four points.
Mironov is an interesting prospect. The Avs took him after he was passed over in the previous three drafts, making him the club’s first Russian draftee since 2004.
Mironov was a member of two Russian squads at the World Juniors -- helping the team to consecutive bronze medals in ’13 and ’14 -- and, in 2015, was one of the youngest players (20 years old) to be named to the country’s entry into the World Championships.
Given the Avs are coming off an absolutely dreadful year, there should be a competition for minutes next season. That would figure to play into Mironov’s favor. What’s more, the Avs only have four d-men under contract moving forward: Erik Johnson, Tyson Barrie, Francois Beauchemin and Mark Barbeiro.