The Colorado Avalanche have signed defenseman Christian Wolanin to a one-year deal. It’s also rumored that the Colorado Eagles have signed Yanick Turcotte to a two-year AHL contract.

Christian Wolanin

Wolanin is 31 years old, six foot two inches tall, and 190 pounds. The left-handed defenseman played at the University of North Dakota before being drafted in the fourth round in 2015 by the Ottawa Senators. He played 58 games with the Senators from 2018 through 2021. In that time, he amassed five goals and 13 assists. He also had 50 games with the Belleville Senators, amounting to eight goals and 24 assists. Since then, he’s played 25 NHL games, split between the Los Angeles Kings, the Buffalo Sabres, and the Vancouver Canucks. He also played 241 regular season games and 36 playoff games in the AHL for a total of 23 goals and 153 assists in the regular season, and an additional six goals and 17 assists in the postseason.

Wolanin also played for Team USA at the IIHF World Championship in 2019 and again in 2021, winning the bronze medal in 2021.

 

Abbotsford defenseman Christian Wolanin skates down the ice during a break in play in the third period of their game at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. © Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Wolanin is a puck-moving offensive defenseman, known for his excellent passing and vision. He excels as a power-play quarterback, finding seams and generating offense from the blue line.

Christian’s father, Craig Wolanin, played 13 years in the NHL. He was a member of the 1996 Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche.

Yanick Turcotte

Although Hockey Mountain High has been unable to confirm, Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey says the Eagles have signed Yanick Turcotte to a two-year contract.

Turcotte is 30 years old, listed at six feet tall and 201 pounds. He played 176 regular-season games in the ECHL for 8 goals and 24 assists. During the 2023–24 season, he also played for Ferencvárosi TC of the Erste Liga in Hungary. He played 67 regular-season games and two playoff games in the AHL, scoring zero goals and six assists. Most recently, Turcotte played with the Chicago Wolves, helping them beat the Eagles in the Western Conference Championship. Most notably, he also amassed an impressive 299 penalty minutes during his time in the AHL.

For a team that prides itself on speed and skill, and that’s lost so many of its highest scorers, this seems like a bad signing. Then again, many have argued that the Eagles need a fighter back in the lineup. Keaton Middleton once played that role, but seemed reluctant to take it on again last year. It’s also been rumored (but not confirmed) that Middleton has been seeking a trade since the beginning of the 2025–26 season. Signing Turcotte will not add many points to the scoreboard. However, it could help keep the undersized Eagles’ players from being bullied too often against bigger teams.

Make sure to keep up with all of our Colorado Eagles’ offseason moves here!