After whirlwind year, Avalanche’s Jason Polin ready to take next step

Following Western Michigan University’s first-round exit in the NCAA tournament, Polin’s focus shifted to the NHL, with several clubs interested in signing the dynamic forward as an undrafted free agent.

Polin and his agency met with several clubs via Zoom. From there, the list of teams was narrowed to the final three, and he felt his best landing spot would be with the Colorado Avalanche.

“I really had a good talk with Colorado,” Polin said. “I really felt comfortable after my conversation, and I had a second call with (General Manager Chris) MacFarland. After that, I knew that was where I wanted to go.”

Coming off a Stanley Cup victory in 2022, the Avalanche would certainly be an attractive destination for any player, let alone someone with Polin’s skillset. Obviously, with players like Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen, to name a few, it is easy to picture yourself succeeding in that environment.

With several free agents set to test the market and Colorado’s limited salary cap, the 24-year-old forward understood there could be an opportunity in the near future on the right side of the NHL roster.

“Up to this point, nothing has really been given to me,” Polin said. “I know that I have to work hard for that spot, but I thought there’s an opportunity there, and that’s going to be my goal, to go into training camp and do everything I can to try to make that spot.”

Colorado was one of the more aggressive teams in signing NCAA free agents.

In addition to signing Polin, the Avalanche added forward Ondrej Pavel (Minnesota State) and defenseman Sam Malinski (Cornell), coming on the heels of signing the top college free agent forward, Ben Meyers (Univ. of Minnesota), last year.

Polin values that his path to professional hockey is different than most and understands that how things played out offered him the most flexibility to go to a club where he would have the best chance of success.

After putting pen to paper, the young forward joined the AHL’s Colorado Eagles for the remainder of the 2022–23 season.

Polin registered his first professional point in his debut, collecting the primary assist on Malinski’s second-period goal. That would be the only point scored in seven regular season and four postseason games.

Like any new level of hockey, Polin had to adapt quickly to the speed of professional hockey. In college, he was one of the older and stronger players at that level. Transitioning to the AHL, he was the young guy playing against men who were much stronger than him.

But the forward cherishes the opportunity to get his feet wet in the AHL to finish out the year.

“The experience that I got playing those games within the year was incredible,” Polin said. “I can take that experience, learn from it and take that going into this year.”

Someone hyperfocused only on Polin’s numbers might look at them and see an uninspiring transition from college to professional hockey. However, the former Bronco takes pride in playing a strong 200-foot game and wanted to ensure his defensive details were dialed in at the AHL level.

He has a proven track record of being a slow starter offensively, which contributed to establishing his defensive game first and foremost. And, if history has taught us anything, the goals can come in bunches once Polin gets going.

“I normally start out a little slower, and then once I get comfortable, that’s when I start producing,” Polin said. “I just wanted to really focus on my defensive play and go from there. Once I got that down, then I could focus more on offense. Just getting the experience, I can take that going into this year, and I can really focus on my offensive abilities.”

This summer has offered a mental reset for the young forward to reflect on the whirlwind that was the 2022–23 season. However, he has remained sharp, keeping up with his training and participating in film camp, soaking up as much knowledge as possible.

Polin was among the many prospects and young players at the Avalanche’s development camp this past week. Not only was it a chance for the forward to showcase his skillset further in organized drills, but he also had the opportunity to get to know some of the other players within the organization.

The players put their friendships aside on day two of development camp under the watchful eye of Head Coach Jared Bednar. While no one is making the team from development camp alone, garnering the attention of the Colorado bench boss was up for grabs.

“It was definitely a little more intense,” Polin said of the head coach’s presence. “Having him out there brought the intensity level up. That was great, though, to see that, see how they coach and what their expectations are. I felt like I did pretty well and was strong with the puck. To get a skate in front of (the coaching staff), just see who we are, too, so I thought it was a great experience.”

As Polin prepares for his first full season of professional hockey, his ultimate goal remains to grab an NHL roster spot out of camp. And his summer plans are centered around bringing his body up to pro-readiness, so that once training camp arrives, he will be able to showcase the best version of himself.

“Definitely an emphasis on getting faster and stronger, so a lot of long days in the gym, trying to build more muscle and work on my speed, try and get a little more speed to my game, so I have an advantage in pro hockey.”