The Colorado Avalanche were among the favorites to win the Stanley Cup in 2020. A series against the Dallas Stars proved to be a tough test for them. It went to Game 7, and the Avs fell. Dallas won on the strength of a hat trick from undrafted free agent Joel Kiviranta. Now, Kiviranta is hoping to crack Colorado's roster.

The 27-year-old Finnish forward has signed with the Avalanche on a professional tryout, as reported by DailyFaceoff. Kiviranta can still sign for another team should a guaranteed contract present itself. However, he can now play preseason games for the Avalanche under this agreement.

Despite the heroics in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Kiviranta has yet to truly carve out a productive career in the NHL. The Finnish forward did set a career-high in goals this season with nine. However, he posted his worst points-per-game total in his career.

Kiviranta scored six points in the 2020 playoffs. And this past postseason saw the 27-year-old score five points for the Stars as they went to the Western Conference Finals. Beyond this, he just hasn't provided much in the way of production.

The Avalanche have made some moves this summer. Forward Alex Newhook left the team via trade with the Montreal Canadiens. Colorado added Ross Colton, Ryan Johansen, and Jonathan Drouin as part of their flurry of moves, as well.

It's an uphill battle for Joel Kiviranta to make the Avalanche roster. However, he'll put in the work over the next several weeks to try and steal a spot on Colorado's opening night squad. The Avalanche begin their 2023-24 season on October 11, visiting the Los Angeles Kings in LA.