The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by Mile High Hockey staff members. Seven writers have ranked players under the age of 25 in the Colorado Avalanche organization as of September 1, 2026. Now, we’ll count down each of the 25 players ranked.
Name: Jake Fisher
Age: 21
Position: C
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 190 lbs
Likely 2026-27 Team: University of Denver
2025 Rank: #18T
Final Rank: #16
High Rank: #9 (Brennan)
Low Rank: #26 (Ryan)
2025-26 Statistics:
University of Denver – 43 GP, 8 G, 11 A, 19 pts, +11, 6 PIM
It’s time for #16 Jake Fisher, who has climbed two spots from last year’s T25U25 rankings! If you have been paying close attention, that’s back-to-back Pios, as Jake and Tory Pitney (#17 in our rankings) aim to go back-to-back as champions in the NCAA ranks.
University of Denver wins the 2026 NCAA National Championship in Men’s Hockey with a 2-1 win over Wisconsin.
— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) April 12, 2026
This is their 3rd title under head coach David Carle (2022, 2024), who has also won World Junior gold with USA in ‘24 and ‘25. Elite. pic.twitter.com/iJCCVCunPL
Fisher is a centerman who may not light up the scoreboard, but clearly understands his role on a very successful collegiate roster. He has had one coach and a consistent voice (David Carle) throughout his development in the NCAA and could prove to be a solid professional and potential late-season candidate for an entry-level deal.
The University of Denver announced on Monday that head coach David Carle has signed a multi-year contract extension to remain with its hockey program.
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) May 5, 2025
He drew interest from multiple NHL teams with head coaching vacancies: https://t.co/Y4cWvXwLNj
Fisher has some glaring strengths, and fortunately for him, they translate well to the NHL. He has tenacity, a nose for the puck in the defensive end, and the strength to win pucks in retrieval. He’s the type of talent that starts in a bottom-six, penalty-killing role but could inevitably earn the ice in key moments.
The most recent comparable (at least in terms of style and potential career arc) is Logan O’Connor. Obviously, Fisher is a centerman, so he’ll be even more valuable if you prove a viable NHLer. However, Fisher may end up a winger in the big leagues, as he split time for the Pios between center and wing.
Moreover, his work on the faceoff dot could catapult him into an NHL lineup sooner rather than later. He won 10 battles on the dot in the NCAA Championship game against the Wisconsin Badgers.
The one area of concern for Fisher is his hot-and-cold streaks. He scored 11 points in his first 19 games of the NCAA season in 2025-26, and only 8 points the rest of the way. As mostly a middle-six guy in DU, his opportunities may have been more limited than a bona fide top-six guy, but I don’t think that’s reason enough for the steep drop-off.
He did, however, show up when it counted most in the NCAA tournament, including a game-winning tally in the regional against Cornell that came on his 21st birthday and on a nasty deflection.
All in all, Fisher climbing our ranks may be more a result of players leaving the under-25 category than of him showing extreme growth. I stand by what I said about his style fitting the NHL mold, but part of that is having a certain level of skill to match the grit. If he can grow in that regard, and maybe add another natty to the hardware bin, nothing should hold this kid back.
Let us know what you think of this prospect in the comments!
2026 Top 25 Under 25
#24 Axel Eloffson
#23 Teddy Lechner
#22 Ivan Yunin
#21 Luka Cloutier
#19 Shawn Carrier
#18 Domenick Fensore
#17 Tory Pitner