Logan O’Connor – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – COLORADO AVALANCHE – Team Preview/Player Profiles/Predictions

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 16:04:41 +0000

ST. LOUIS, MO -APRIL 05: Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (39) as seen before the start of the second period during a NHL game between the Colorado Avalanche and the St. Louis Blues on April 05, 2025, at Enterprise Center, St. Louis MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire)

Although Colorado had yet another outstanding season, the result of losing Game 7 to the Dallas Stars in the first round left a bitter taste in their mouths. Seeing former teammate Mikko Rantanen succeed against them and move on in the playoffs just weeks after having captain Gabriel Landeskog return to action after nearly two years made for a roller coaster of emotion. Despite all the ups and downs throughout the season, Colorado finished with 102 points and finished in third place in the Central Division. They were the third best team in the league in CorsiFor percentage (54.1) and were eighth in expected goals for percentage (52.4) just behind Winnipeg (52.44). A midseason trade for goalie Mackenzie Blackwood turned things around quickly for them when it was apparent Alexandar Georgiev wasn’t going to be able to turn his own game around. Now with their roster seemingly set, they’ll look to avoid a slow start that had them chasing the rest of the division down all season.

What’s Changed?

Trade deadline acquisition Brock Nelson re-signed for three years, $22.5 million. Adding Nelson worked well for them late in the year and he was eager to stay in Denver. The Avalanche made some changes to help loosen their cap constraints by sending Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood to Colorado for prospect Gavin Brindley and a pair of draft picks. That added flexibility let them sign Brent Burns on a one-year, $1 million deal, re-signed Josh Manson for two years, $7.9 million and Joel Kirivanta for one year, $1.25 million. They also added scoring winger Victor Olofsson from Vegas as a free agent for one year, $1.57 million. All of those players are specialists at what they do and with their key players already set, this is how a team with eyes on the Stanley Cup handles the roster.

What Would Success Look Like?

It was three years ago that the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup and they’ve had their gaze set on winning it again ever since. Instead, they’ve lost in the first round twice and the second round once and that’s what must change. After bowing out to Dallas this year, it brought about questions as to whether they needed to change coach Jared Bednar. These are like first-world problems for contending teams, but with the overall talent level the Avalanche has with Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Landeskog, Devon Toews and Martin Necas, they can win the Stanley Cup. The key to doing that will be winning the Central Division, however, and staying out of a potential first-round battle with Winnipeg, Dallas, St. Louis or Utah within the division.

What Could Go Wrong?

Any kind of extended losing streak or slump can lead to not winning the Central Division and having to slug it out in the first-round again. We’ve seen the Western Conference Playoffs sap the energy out of teams in the Central Division in each of the past three seasons, particularly in Dallas. Having to slog it out in long series to even get to the Western Conference Final is debilitating. The Avalanche’s depth up front took a hit this offseason when they traded Coyle and Wood and injuries could cause issues, especially if it means having to play the top players even more. If those guys have to empty the tank to just get to the playoffs, it’ll make life a lot harder once they do and make the dreams of winning the Cup again that much harder.

Top Breakout Candidate

The Avalanche are very much a veteran team but if there’s a young player who will have an opportunity to seize a role it’s forward Ivan Ivan. In 40 games with the Avalanche last season, Ivan had five goals and three assists while averaging 10:02 of ice time. That’s extreme fourth line deployment, but given the limited work, that’s decent offensive output. He wasn’t a big scorer in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles (43 points in 103 games), but at 23 years old, he’s someone who could be effective on the forecheck and frustrating opponents by getting on them as they try to carry up ice.

FORWARDS

Nathan MacKinnon

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	36	78	114	1.44

The beat goes on for Nathan Mackinnon as he recorded his third 110+ point season in a row, which was unbelievably a 24-point drop from what he posted the previous season. The main culprit was MacKinnon not finding the back of the net at the same frequency he did the past two seasons. Shooting percentage is usually the reason for this, but MacKinnon is typically a low-percentage shooter relatively to most elite players. What changed was the rate he shot the puck, seeing his shot rate go from 13.7 per game to 10. He is probably the only player in the league where 10 shots per game is a career low, but MacKinnon notoriously sets the bar high for himself. He’s also the only player who can have a “down” season and still be among the league’s best, as he was last year but the shot volume numbers he posted from 2021-24 are almost impossible to sustain. He also gained another high-volume shooter to work with in Martin Necas, so he had to spread the wealth a little more rather than take every shot, which clearly wasn’t a bad thing because he led the league in assists. The race for the best forward in the league is always neck-and-neck between him and McDavid. Both dominate the game in their own ways and MacKinnon does it through pure explosive speed, last year was the first time he took over games through playmaking rather than hitting you with a barrage of shots from all angles. Always raising the bar for himself, MacKinnon doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

Martin Necas

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	37	45	82	1.05

The midseason trade of Mikko Rantanen sparked some new life into the Avs offence with Martin Necas giving them another explosive player to pair with MacKinnon. They were one of the most exciting lines in the league when they played together. He gave them a different look than Rantanen, playing quicker and less deliberate in the offensive zone. Rantanen being the type who would look for open space and pick his spots while Necas would try to be MacKinnon 2.0 with cycling the puck high and taking shots from every angle. Colorado was the perfect landing spot for Necas after his torrid start with the Hurricanes, as the Avs were willing to give him the 20-21 minutes a night and top line deployment he wanted in Carolina. While he was exciting to watch with the Avs, Necas ended his Colorado tenure just under a point-per-game, which is where he has been for most of his career. He’s the type of player who can win games on his own for you when he’s hot, and cost you games when he goes cold, as he likes to have the puck on his stick all the time. It’s electrifying when he’s on a hot streak and a problem when he’s in a cold spell because he will try to win the game in one shift. Carolina opted to move on from him despite putting up career numbers and the Avs have one year to decide if Necas is a player they want for the long haul. His talent is undeniable.

Brock Nelson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	24	29	53	0.67

The Avs arduous quest for replacing Nazem Kadri took another turn when they moved on from Casey Mittelstadt in favor of longtime Islander Brock Nelson. He was the reliable second line pivot on Long Island for almost his entire career and was a model of consistency with nine season of scoring 20 or more goals. He’s a jack-of-all-trades player who can play on both special teams' units, but his knack for goal-scoring is what has kept him high in the lineup. Not just from going to the net, but from having the combination of patience and composure whenever he needs to make an extra move or two to score. Both off the rush and when he’s stationed in front of the net. His game is very direct and straight-forward when he gets to lead the rush, as he’ll usually take it to the net and try to deke the goalie out of his pads rather than look for the pass. Nelson has always had a unique combination of grit and skill for that reason because he will take hits to make plays by driving the net, but he can make those two or three slick moves to make the goaltender cheat. His all-around game is usually solid, although he took a step back defensively on a chaotic Isles team. Typically, one of their more trusted players on the second line, Nelson never handled the brunt of the defensive responsibilities reserved for the likes of Pageau and Cizikas, so he’s stepping into a similar role in Colorado with them needing a consistent scoring center on their second line in the worst way. If Nelson can stay 80% of the player he was on Long Island, Colorado will get what they want, but at 33 years old with a lot of miles logged, his best years are probably behind him.

Arturri Lehkonen

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
73	24	23	47	0.64

Lehkonen was asked to try and fill the Landeskog role when the Avs captain started his long IR stint. Stapled to MacKinnon for most of his Colorado tenure, Lehkonen knows the ins and outs of how to produce in the Avs system, scoring a career high 27 goals last year with the majority of them coming at even strength. The addition of Necas gave Lehkonen a new wrinkle to prepare for, with a high-volume shooter added to the mix as opposed to Rantanen, who would rotate with him in front of the net. This forced Lehkonen to deal with more coverage in the net-front role, teams double teaming him, and he had to work extra hard to find loose pucks. Lehkonen also had to be more versatile in his own game, looking for an extra pass instead of jamming for rebounds. Filling the gaps of what your linemates aren’t doing is what being the third wheel on a line is all about, but you also have to be skilled enough to not get stuck playing one way. Lehkonen’s done an excellent job of that. He has better hands and is a quicker skater than most forwards who get stuck in the net-front spot, so it makes him a tougher player to defend, as he can catch you off-guard with some of the plays he makes. Combine that with how good he is on the penalty kill and it's hard to ask for a better complementary forward.

Val Nichushkin

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
61	29	18	47	0.77

Nichushkin played only half of the season, missing the first month serving a suspension for violating the NHLPA Player Assistance Program and suffering an injury at the end of December. He was an integral part of the team’s Stanley Cup run years ago, and his last few seasons have been some of the most productive of his career, but the problem being he has yet to play a full season since arriving in Colorado all the way back in 2020. Injuries have been the story of Nichushkin’s career, dating back to his second year when he had hip surgery and it’s been something he’s had to deal with ever since. When healthy, he’s the ideal Colorado forward. A quick, powerful skater who will go to the net and has the hands to make the finishing plays on breakaways. Always one of the best players on the team at producing scoring chances, Nichushkin’s size, skill and nose for the net makes him a versatile guy in the Avs lineup. He can play on the top line with MacKinnon, but he can also drive his own line, regularly logging the 20-22 minutes a night with the Avs other star players. Staying in the lineup is the key for him.

Gabriel Landeskog

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
65	18	35	53	0.82

Landeskog made an emotional return to the Colorado lineup in the playoffs after three years on the shelf with a lingering knee injury that required several surgeries. The Avs weren’t sure when they would see their captain suit up for them again, so seeing him take the ice in Game 3 against Dallas was major lift to the organization. As fate has it, he scored in his second game back in the lineup on home ice and ended the playoffs with four points in five games. The last time we saw Landeskog play a full-season, he was scoring at over a point-per-game pace, which was a regular theme with him in his late 20’s. How he performs after three years out of the game is anyone’s guess. His longtime linemate in Mikko Rantanen is gone but he has mastered the art of playing in the Avalanche system and what you need to do to complement their stars. Landeskog’s specialty for years has being going to the net and scoring a high number of goals from having the puck bounce off him. Landeskog became less of a puck-carrier and someone who drives the bus in the neutral zone as MacKinnon’s game started to enter another stratosphere, so he’s had to pick up the intricacies of playing away from the puck. Always being around MacKinnon when he needs support and in front of the net when the Avs do their three-man high cycle in the zone. It’s just a matter of how quickly Landeskog can get back to full speed after so much time off.

Ross Colton

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
81	17	21	38	0.47

A top-heavy team all season, the Avs felt the loss of Ross Colton when he was out of the lineup for two months with a broken foot. They didn’t have him for the playoffs either after an injury took him out of Game 1 against Dallas. He might be just a depth guy, but he was one of the few sources of secondary scoring they had early in the season when he was healthy. He made a name for himself with the Lightning as a tenacious, bottom-six player who can provide some jolt to your offence. He loves shooting the puck and is savvy with getting himself open for good chances. He’s skilled enough to carry his own line, his love for carrying the puck making him a good fit for the Avs system where transition play dominates. Not a physical player in the sense of delivering big hits, but he doesn’t mind taking hits to make plays, always battling his way to the front of the net and fighting for positioning to get loose pucks. A depth player you take for granted until he’s not there anymore, as was the case for Colorado early in the season, because he can still tilt the ice for your team even when he’s not scoring. This season could tell a lot about him with Brock Nelson taking the 2C spot and Jack Drury possibly bringing more upside to the table as a 3C, pushing Colton to the wing or in a more defensive oriented role.

Jack Drury

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	9	18	27	0.34

While he was the less exciting part of the Necas-Rantanen trade, the Avs value Jack Drury’s contributions as a defensive player. Right off the bat, they used him on the penalty kill and relatively high in the lineup until the midseason trades for Brock Nelson and Charlie Coyle. Drury is never a drag when he’s on the ice, he sees the game well and is always in the right spot to make the next play, excelling at making one-touch passes for skilled linemates and playing the high forward to keep long possessions going. He doesn’t have the finishing touch or skill to be a regular in the top six, not handling the puck well when he makes a play under pressure and an easy shooter to read even when he gets space. Colorado did make great use of Drury as one of the guys they play with a lead, moving him up in the lineup when they needed to kill the clock. Sometimes you need players who thrive in the doldrums of the game to make sure nothing happens while they’re on the ice. It’s hard to find players better than Drury for that. Colorado tried to untap some of his skill while he played higher in the lineup, but with Nelson re-signed, Drury will be properly slotted on the third line.

Logan O'Connor

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
64	12	12	24	0.38

Sometimes it’s easy to mistake O’Connor for MacKinnon when you’re watching the Avs. You see the 25 and think it’s 29 because he’s skating like lightning just as MacKinnon would do. The similarities stop there as O’Connor doesn’t have close to the same skillset, but he doesn’t have to in his role as a penalty kill workhorse. One of the more heralded defensive forwards in the NHL, O’Connor uses his speed to defend better than anyone, being an annoying presence on the forecheck and while defending. He is constantly in the face of players trying to cycle the puck and has a knack for turning turnovers into breakaways. Whether he scores on them or not is usually a secondary concern for the Avs. Although his offence has started to come around a little the last two years with back-to-back 10+ goal seasons. Anything more than that will be gravy. How effective he will be after off-season hip surgery, however, is one thing the Avs must be concerned with considering that speed and acceleration are big parts of his game. His return to the lineup is slated for November at the latest.

DEFENCE

Cale Makar

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
81	30	64	94	1.16

The most explosive, dynamic defenceman in the league, Makar took home his second Norris after being in a close race with Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes all season. He is the gold standard for the modern NHL defenceman, putting up unprecedented offensive numbers his entire career. Makar always looks like he’s playing a different game than everyone else, quickly getting from one side of the rink to the other to keep pucks in or break the defense down. It’s easy to take it for granted when you see it every night because Makar makes a lot of difficult things look routine. Not just walking the blue line but moving laterally or backwards in the offensive zone while controlling the puck on a string to keep the cycle going and while dropping a short pass to a forward that’s skating downhill at full speed. It’s things like that which make the Avs offence deadly. Having the elite forwards also helps, but Makar has the confidence to play like this even behind the Avs fourth line. There are some defencemen who can skate like Makar and there are a few who can handle the puck like him, but there aren’t any who can do both at the same time, which is what makes him a special player. This isn’t even getting into how he can score from distance, having pinpoint accuracy on shots from 50 feet away, which also makes him different from other high-scoring defencemen that rely on creeping in from the point or using the booming slapshot. Makar is truly one of a kind.

Devon Toews

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	8	35	43	0.57

Adding Devon Toews back in 2021 was the key to unlocking Makar’s potential. Not just as a player to be his safety valve, but a partner who can skate with him and not get overwhelmed with Makar starts to dance and take risks in the offensive zone. Toews’ skating is heralded as his best asset, as he loves playing the free safety role in the offensive zone with intercepting clearing attempts. His passing is right behind that, and it makes him a critical part of how the Avs like to attack through the neutral zone. Since Toews can’t keep every puck in the zone, what he likes to do instead is allow the puck to get over the blue line, wait for everyone to tag up and zip a pass to a teammate streaking into the zone. This reload method is an integral part of the Avs offence and Toews is part of what makes it go. He’s not the special talent Makar is, but he’s a complete defenceman who can do everything. He defends with his legs and by keeping the play in front of him better than anyone and excels at shutting off plays at his own blue line. Offensively, he complements Makar nicely as someone who can read off him and is very dangerous when he can creep in from the point and get his wrister on net. There’s always a lot of focus on what Makar is doing in the offensive zone, so Toews can creep in unnoticed and score some sneaky goals this way. Point production is never the concern with Toews, as he is Colorado’s defensive MVP.

Brent Burns

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	9	27	36	0.44

Last year was the first time Burns didn’t hit 30 points in a full season since 2012, his first year in San Jose. Father time has caught up to the now 40-year-old as the explosivity to his game isn’t there anymore and he saw his role shift in Carolina to more of a shutdown role to fill the absence of Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei. In the grand scheme, he did fine. He can still do a lot of the disruptive work in the defensive zone when defending the cycle, always getting a stick on a play and moving the puck out of harm's way. Defending one-on-one is where he struggled and it was more of a problem last season with him playing the tough matchups. He still plays very high in the zone to challenge attacking forwards and he either gets them or misses and gives up a Grade A chance the other way. He can still skate smoothly, but doesn’t accelerate well, so he ended up on the wrong end of some highlights from getting beat to the inside often. Nothing much has changed about how he plays offensively, if he gets the puck it’s going to the net. He saw less of a reward for it offensively last season, but it’s something that should intrigue Colorado fans with how many forwards they have who are skilled at tipping pucks. Burns can still play at a high level at his age, so it’s all a matter of when his age starts to catch up with him. He might avoid hitting the wall longer than most with how much of a physical specimen he is, but it’s something that comes for every player eventually.

Samuel Girard

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
71	2	18	20	0.28

Now, one of Colorado’s longest-tenured players, it doesn’t feel like that long ago when Girard burst onto the scene in his rookie season. He was a nimble, exciting puck-moving defenceman that had a lot of poise and confidence we didn’t typically see from smaller blueliners in the NHL. Once Makar arrived, Girard was old news and became a mainstay on the Avs second pair, a role that he’s had on lockdown for the past five years. It’s not abnormal for a smaller defenceman to play as much as Girard does in a shutdown role, but he is on the extreme end of the height spectrum, so he’s slotted in a unique way for a player of his stature. It’s easy for him to get lost in the shuffle watching Colorado because of Toews and Makar, but Girard’s puck-moving is as good as it was in his rookie year. He’s improved by playing a safer game, trusting his partners to make the next play more and not trying to do everything himself. He complements the forwards nicely in the offensive zone but doesn’t get the same level of opportunities playing behind the second and third lines. Defending the rush is his one sore spot and opposing teams tend to go after him more because of his size, doubly when he’s paired with Josh Manson instead of Sam Malinski. Girard likes to defend with his body and isn’t the best with timing the hip checks or anticipating where the play is going if he has multiple reads with the puck. It’s something that Colorado’s always had to work around with him, but he’s still a solid 3rd or 4th option on the Avs blue line.

Goal

Mackenzie Blackwood

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
57	33	15	4	5	0.909	2.50

Very few teams will enter the upcoming season having completely scrapped their goaltending tandem and starting from scratch. One of those, though, is the Colorado Avalanche, who bounced both Justus Annunen and Alexandar Georgiev following tough performances and brought in new names to hopefully take the reins for the time being. Perhaps the most exciting name in the depth chart now is Mackenzie Blackwood, who may have finally found his home in Colorado following an up-and-down career in New Jersey and a brief stint helping the San Jose Sharks with their rebuild. He arrived in Colorado last season and immediately made an impact, finishing the year with one of his best statistical performances since going pro in 2017. He's a good fit on paper, too, with both the big physical presence the Avalanche tend to prefer in net and a strong positional game that makes it hard for shooters to pull him out of position. He seemed to regain some of his rhythm during his time with San Jose after looking like he'd lost his timing in New Jersey, and he was arguably the biggest factor in Colorado going from a team that might need to retool to a team that looked ready to push for the playoffs once more.

He'll be accompanied by Scott Wedgewood for the time being, making for a fun Devils reunion in net that should keep Colorado's netminding consistent and easy to work with for the defence in front. But don't be surprised if Trent Miner gets a look or two this year, particularly if either Wedgewood or Blackwood end up needing to spend time on IR.

NHL:CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Lindholm and Kuzmenko are traded, plus Logan O’Connor, Ivan Barbashev, Adam Henrique, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and much, much more!

Scott Cullen — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 18:31:42 +0000

Elias Lindholm (28). (Photo by John Crouch/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I dive into the numbers to help make decisions when it comes time to make fantasy hockey decisions.

This week, Elias Lindholm and Andrei Kuzmenko are traded, plus Logan O’Connor, Ivan Barbashev, Adam Henrique, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and much, much more!

#1 The Calgary Flames were likely to be a team to watch this season, with so many quality players in the final year of their contracts. The Flames started their trade season in earnest when they moved Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks. Lindholm has logged a career-high 20:45 of ice time per game for the Flames this season, but has a modest 32 points (9 G, 23 A) in 49 games. Part of the problem is that he has scored on just 6.9 percent of his shots, his lowest rate since 2015-2016. While Lindholm has typically been a solid play driver for most of his career, he has struggled in that respect this season, so a new situation may help. It will be fascinating to see how Lindholm fits in Vancouver. It’s entirely possible that he is the second line centre, behind Elias Pettersson, which could put a limit on his offensive upside, but there could very well be opportunities for Lindholm to play with Pettersson, too. At the very least, he should be able to expect positive regression on his shooting percentage, so there is some reasonable hope that his production improves down the stretch.

#2 Heading to Calgary in exchange for Lindholm is second-year winger Andrei Kuzmenko, a 27-year-old winger who burst onto the NHL scene by scoring 39 goals for the Canucks last season. This season, he has just eight goals in 43 games and had been a regular resident in Rick Tocchet’s doghouse. Kuzmenko scored on 27.3 percent of his shots last season, so he was among the most obvious regression candidates in the league, but he had also been healthy scratched for multiple games and had seen his ice time cut by nearly two minutes per game. With the Flames, Kuzmenko should see his ice time pick up, with a regular role on the top power play unit. He could be worth a speculative pick up, just because he has to be better than he showed in Vancouver this season, but the Flames are not about to get better, so it could be a challenge for Kuzmenko to put up big numbers the rest of the way.

#3 A couple of Flames players to monitor in the aftermath of the deal are wingers Jonathan Huberdeau and Yegor Sharangovich. If Kuzmenko is going to get a chance on the top line, one of those wingers will slide down the depth chart. Sharangovich has tallied 24 points (15 G, 9 A) in his past 24 games, and it would make sense for the Flames to keep him in a prime scoring role. Huberdeau has been wildly disappointing this season, managing 26 points (6 G, 20 A) in 48 games, though he does have nine points (1 G, 8 A) in his past 10 games. As a setup man, Huberdeau may get first crack to play with Kuzmenko, but his performance hardly indicates that this is a surefire solution for either of them.

#4 Although the big stars at the top of the depth chart command the attention in Colorado, one of the unsung heroes for the Avalanche has been right winger Logan O’Connor, a 27-year-old high energy forward who has 16 points (9 G, 7 A) and 30 shots on goal in his past 16 games. O’Connor has zero power play points among his 24 points this season, scoring 21 at evens and three while shorthanded. While it is to his credit that O’Connor has more even-strength points than Nick Suzuki, Steven Stamkos, or Mats Zuccarello, a regular role on the power play helps raise the floor of a player’s potential offensive production.

#5 While the Vegas Golden Knights are battling through some injury trouble, winger Ivan Barbashev has stepped up his game and heads into the All-Star break with 11 points (4 G, 7 A) and 14 shots on goal during a six-game point streak. While he has been productive recently, Barbarashev has seen his ice time drop by more than two minutes per game compared to how much he played for Vegas last season.

#6 A prime candidate on the trade market heading into the All-Star break, Anaheim Ducks centre Adam Henrique has nine points (4 G, 5 A) and 20 shots on goal during a six-game point streak. While he is not going to score a point-and-a-half per game over the long haul, it is very encouraging that Henrique is generating shots at that rate, even in a relatively small sample of games.

#7 After scoring 39 points in 82 games during his sophomore campaign last season, Carolina Hurricanes right winger Seth Jarvis has taken his game to a new level this season. He enters the All-Star break having scored 10 points (1 G, 9 A) with 21 shots on goal in his past eight games and he has scored 38 points (15 G, 23 A) in 48 games. He plays primarily with Sebastian Aho on the Hurricanes’ top line, which is obviously a favorable spot for Jarvis to continue his high level of production.

#8 At the start of the season, the Buffalo Sabres were really giving rookie netminder Devon Levi every opportunity to claim the starting job, but he just couldn’t do it. It turns out that the young goaltender who was ready to handle the starting job was 24-year-old Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. He has really made his case in the new year, posting a .944 save percentage in eight games since the calendar turned to 2024. Wins don’t come that easily in Buffalo, but Luukkonen is a goaltender who could help provide answers at a position that has tended to offer plenty of questions marks this season.

#9 The Colorado Avalanche inked 39-year-old left winger Zach Parise, which should give them better depth up front. It is unlikely that Parise will step into a significant scoring role, but that can’t be guaranteed, either. As a 38-year-old with the Islanders last season, Parise had contributed 34 points, including 21 goals. It is at least worth watching Parise, to see where he lands when he finally gets into the Colorado lineup.

#10 The fifth pick in the 2019 Draft by the Los Angeles Kings, centre Alex Turcotte had zero points in 12 NHL games coming into this season. He started the season in the American Hockey League, where he produced 23 points (7 G, 16 A) in 28 games, earning a promotion to a struggling Kings squad. Turcotte picked up a goal and an assist in just over 10 minutes of ice time in his second game with Los Angeles, and that might be enough to get him a longer look. Given his relatively slow progress for such a high draft pick, it’s probably wise to proceed with caution when it comes to Turcotte.

#11 Despite Ryan Johansen being a relative disappointment for the Colorado Avalanche, they are getting quality production out of centre Ross Colton. He enters the All-Star break having scored nine points (2 G, 7 A) with 16 shots on goal in his past seven games. Colton is getting a chance on Colorado’s top power play unit, which is enough reason to consider adding him in deeper leagues.

#12 Veteran centre Brayden Schenn was off to a slow start this season and was mired in a 16-game goalless slump when he found the net against Florida on January 9. That started him on the road to scoring 11 points (5 G, 6 A) with 23 shots on goal in his past 11 games. Schenn is skating on a line with Brandon Saad and Jake Neighbours at evens and has been moved to the second power play unit, so his upside is not that high but, right now, he could be a useful addition.

#13 Although wins are not coming easily in Chicago, goaltender Petr Mrazek has been playing very well, giving him surprising fantasy value. Mrazek has a .940 save percentage in his past seven starts, which is outstanding, but he was credited with two victories in that time, so that decreases his relative value.

#14 There are some potential goaltending battles taking place in Southern California. David Rittich has emerged as a viable option for the Los Angeles Kings, outplaying Cam Talbot in recent weeks. Rittich, who started the season in the AHL, has a .924 save percentage in 11 appearances for the Kings. Talbot, who was outstanding early in the season, has managed a .886 save percentage in his past 14 appearances, opening the door for Rittich to earn more time in the crease. In Anaheim, rookie Lukas Dostal is pushing veteran starter John Gibson. Dostal has a .918 save percentage in his past 10 games, which is good enough to earn more playing time. Gibson has a .882 save percentage in his past nine appearances, which is good enough to lose playing time. Gibson is a potential trade candidate for teams needing an answer in goal, which would obviously increase Dostal’s value if that were to ever happen.

#15 The Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin was the best goaltender in the world in 2021-2022, when he easily won the Vezina Trophy. He has fallen on hard times recently, though, posting a .863 save percentage in 10 starts since the calendar flipped to January 2024. It’s not as though the Rangers can give veteran Jonathan Quick a significantly larger role, so they just need Shesterkin to get back on track.

#16 Buffalo Sabres right winger Jack Quinn had missed the first couple of months after suffering an Achilles injury, but he stepped right into the lineup and produced 12 points (5 G, 7 A) in 17 games. Unfortunately, he will miss the next two months while he recovers from a lower-body injury that required surgery. The initial beneficiary in the Sabres lineup could be captain Kyle Okposo, who has just two points (1 G, 1 A) in his past 12 games but is looking at an opportunity to skate on the Sabres’ top line with Jeff Skinner and Tage Thompson.

#17 It has been a tough season for the Columbus Blue Jackets and does not appear to be getting any easier for them heading down the stretch. Rookie centre Adam Fantilli will miss the next two months due to a lacerated calf. Fantilli ranked fourth among rookies in scoring with 27 points (12 G,15 A). The Blue Jackets also lost Patrik Laine to the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Laine hasn’t played since mid-December and was getting the lowest average ice time of his career (15:13 per game). Rookie centre Dmitri Voronkov, who has five goals and 24 shots on goal in his past seven games, is one Blue Jackets players that could get a bigger role, as could sophomore winger Kent Johnson, who is very talented but also has zero goals and two assists in his past 11 games.

#18 The New York Rangers have lost centre Filip Chytil for the rest of the season due to concussions. He had been out since November 2, but there was still some hope that he could return to his role as a valuable third-line centre before suffering a setback in his recovery. The Rangers were already candidates to acquire another centre via trade, but this situation makes that a virtual certainty now. As it is, journeyman Jonny Brodzinski, who has a career-high 11 points (2 G, 9 A) in 30 games, is the Blueshirts’ third line centre.

#19 Here are three forwards that could be buy-low candidates because of relatively low on-ice shooting percentages. Tom Wilson (5.2 OiSH%) last finished with an on-ice shooting percentage under 8.0% was 2014-2015. Matty Beniers (5.4 OiSH%) finished last season with an on-ice shooting percentage of 11.9% and maybe that was unsustainably high, but the pendulum has moved too far in the other direction this season. Jamie Benn (6.7 OiSH%) had a career-high 13.1% on-ice shooting percentage last season and regression has hit him hard in 2023-2024 as he is now at a career low.

#20 At the other end, here are three players that have benefitted from high on-ice shooting percentages and might be good sell-high candidates. Tyler Seguin (12.1 OiSH%) is rocking a career-high on-ice shooting percentage and the last time he finished a season higher than 10.0% was in 2014-2015. Casey Mittelstadt (12.7 OiSH%) finished last season with a 9.7 OiSH%, a career high, and he is obliterating that this season, so he is probably due for regression. Dylan Larkin (12.2 OiSH%) has never finished a season with an on-ice shooting percentage over 10.0% and is more than 20% beyond that mark right now.

NHL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: COLORADO AVALANCHE VS. SEATTLE KRAKEN – Surprising sophomores face uphill battle against vulnerable Avalanche

Scott Cullen — Sat, 15 Apr 2023 20:10:02 +0000

SEATTLE, WA - JANUARY 21: Colorado Avalanche center Evan Rodrigues (9) and Seattle Kraken center Alex Wennberg (21) race to the puck during an NHL game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Seattle Kraken on January 21, 2023 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA. (Photo by Jeff Halstead/Icon Sportswire)

After winning the Stanley Cup last season, the Colorado Avalanche looked like they were poised to begin a dynasty. They still won the Central Division in 2022-2023, but a season marred by injuries leaves them more vulnerable than might have been expected.

On the other hand, the Seattle Kraken turned around a disappointing first season to record 100 points in the second year of the franchise. Can the Kraken take advantage of a weakened Avalanche squad and pull off the upset?

Forwards

Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen are two of the premier forwards in the league, so that is a strong foundation for the Avs. MacKinnon scored a career-high 42 goals and 111 points in 71 games while Rantanen delivered a career-high 55 goals and 105 points while skating in all 82 games. How far the Avs can go will likely depend on what other forwards can contribute. Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen are exceptional forecheckers, making them strong fits in complementary roles. J.T. Compher has been excellent in a two-way role as the second line center, contributing 52 points along with superb defensive play. Can the Avs count on production from the likes of Evan Rodrigues, Alex Newhook, Logan O’Connor, and Denis Malgin? Someone from that depth group likely needs to step up, particularly after news that Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog, who missed the entire regular season, will not return for the playoffs.

While the Kraken improved their offense dramatically, it was more about a balanced attack. Jared McCann led the team with 40 goals and 70 points, but Seattle had 10 forwards with at least 35 points and that does not include Eeli Tolvanen, who scored 16 goals in 48 games after getting claimed on waivers and Ryan Donato, who added 14 goals in fourth-line minutes. In addition to McCann, the Kraken had five more forwards hit the 20-goal mark, including Jordan Eberle, Matty Beniers, Daniel Sprong, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Jaden Schwartz. That scoring balance does make it difficult for the Kraken to get shut down completely, but they don’t yet have a marquee scorer to lean on in tough times, either. Seattle led the league with 3.13 goals per 60 minutes during five-on-five play, so the balanced attack worked for them. Given Colorado’s star power, this could be a real test of whether being able to spread the offense around is better than having a couple of go-to guys to carry the attack.

Defense

When healthy, Colorado’s defense is an outstanding group of difference makers who provide the engine for a championship team. The challenge has been keeping them healthy. Cale Makar is probably the best defenseman in the league but was limited to 60 games by various injuries. He still produced 66 points, including 37 points in 28 games after the Christmas break. A healthy Makar goes a long way towards making the Avs Cup contenders, but his last regular season appearance was April 1, so his health is not assured.

Devon Toews is a steady partner for Makar and steps into an even bigger role when Makar is out. Bowen Byram and Samuel Girard are strong puck moving options to keep the Avalanche on the attack, but the blueline depth reveals some potential concerns. Josh Manson has not played since March 1, leaving Erik Johnson, Jack Johnson, and Kurtis MacDermid to round out the defense and all three have been liabilities this season. The key for Colorado’s playoff hopes would be for Makar and Manson to be healthy, limiting the potential impact of those further down the depth chart. It appears that this will be the case, but Colorado’s lineup has been fragile at the best of times this season.

Vince Dunn emerged as a bona fide star in his second season with the Kraken, producing 64 points with strong defensive impacts while logging nearly 24 minutes of ice time per game. Adam Larsson was the only other Seattle defenseman to play more than 20 minutes per game and he chipped in a career-high 33 points along with his standard strong defensive play. Larsson is one of three defensemen in the playoffs that had at least 170 hits and 170 blocked shots during the regular season. Brayden McNabb of the Vegas Golden Knights and Jacob Trouba of the New York Rangers are the others. Jamie Oleksiak has matured into a steady two-way blueliner as well, but Seattle’s defense is an area of vulnerability. William Borgen, Carson Soucy, and Justin Schultz are fine, but not likely to make a major impact.

To their credit, the Kraken ranked second in all-situations shots and expected goals against per 60 minutes, giving them an edge over the Avs, who ranked 14^th in all-situations shots against and ninth in expected goals allowed.

Goaltending

Colorado’s goaltending is potentially a massive advantage in this series. Alexandar Georgiev emerged from Igor Shesterkin’s shadow in New York to become a high-end starting goaltender in Colorado. After putting up a .918 save percentage in 62 regular-season games, it is now time to find out if Georgiev can get it done in the playoffs.

Seattle’s goaltending is much more precarious. Martin Jones had a .886 save percentage in 48 games and Philipp Grubauer added a .895 save percentage in 39 games. Neither is remotely trustworthy, but Jones faded badly down the stretch, delivering a miserable .853 save percentage in 13 games after the All-Star break, so Grubauer should get first crack against his former team.

Special Teams

Colorado’s skill shows up on the power play, where they ranked seventh with 8.25 goals per 60 minutes during five-on-four play. Rantanen led the way with 13 power play goals, followed by MacKinnon, who had 12. Seattle, on the other hand, ranked 22^nd with 6.45 goals per 60 and McCann was tops with seven power play goals, followed by Sprong and Schwartz with six.

Both teams were below average on the penalty kill, however. Colorado ranked 18^th and Seattle ranked 20^th in goals against during four-on-five play. Facing Colorado’s power play, this ought to be an area of concern for Seattle.

Conclusion

A fully healthy Avalanche team could be a powerhouse, but we have not seen a fully healthy Avalanche team this season. They are probably still good enough to handle the Kraken, but an injury or two – which could almost be expected for Colorado this season – would quickly put this series into question. Avalanche in 6.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – COLORADO AVALANCHE – NHL Player Profiles

Ryan Dadoun – Forwards and Defense, Catherine Silverman - Goaltending — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 23:04:25 +0000

TAMPA, FL - JUNE 20: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) skates with the puck during the NHL Hockey Stanley Cup Finals Game 3 between Tampa Bay Lightning and the Colorado Avalanche on June 20th, 2022 at Amalie Arena in Tampa Florida (Photo by Andrew Bershaw /Icon_Sportswire)

FORWARDS

Nathan MacKinnon

If you are looking for a player to build your team around, MacKinnon would have to be one of your top choices. He’s fast, great at setting up his teammates, and if the situation calls for it, more than willing to take the shot himself, which he does with both frequency and success. He did suffer a smattering of injuries over the 2021-22 campaign that limited him to 65 games, but he still scored 32 goals and 88 points. That made it the third straight season where he averaged 1.35 points-per-game. To put that feat in perspective, only two players have averaged more points over the last three campaigns: Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. That high-level ability to generate offense led to the Avalanche sending him out for an average of 21:04 minutes, which was the seventh most in the league among forwards. It’s worth noting though that despite how much Colorado relied on him, he was almost never deployed when the team was shorthanded. He’s also not great on the draw, winning just 383 of 844 faceoff opportunities (45.4%) last season and he’s only finished with a positive faceoff percentage once in his career. So, he does have his mild shortcomings, but his pros far outweigh them and that was certainly displayed during Colorado’s championship run. He kicked off the playoffs with a seven-game point streak en route to scoring 13 goals and 24 points in 20 games. He’s still in the prime of his career, so it would be no surprise to see another big performance out of him this season. There might be some extra intrigue though given that he’s entering the final season of his team-friendly seven-year, $44.1 million contract and at the time of writing, he hasn’t agreed to an extension.

Mikko Rantanen

Rantanen isn’t quite the team’s best forward nor is he their leader, but it’s hard to envision a scenario where the Avalanche could have won the Cup without him. For years now, whenever Nathan MacKinnon has stepped onto the ice, Rantanen has typically been right there with him, and that one-two punch has been the driving force of Colorado’s offense. Standing at 6-foot-4, 215-pounds, he’s got a size advantage that he knows how to use. A significant chunk of his 5-on-5 goals were shot in front of or near the net. He also complements that size with high-end skill and speed to make him of the league’s best players offensively. Over the last five years he’s averaged more than a point-per-game, but the 2021-22 campaign was his best yet, with him setting career-highs by scoring 36 goals and 92 points in 75 contests. He’s especially dangerous when his teammates can feed him the puck on the power play. He was in a seven-way tie for third place in the NHL with 16 power-play goals last season. He’s also consistent. His longest point drought in 2021-22 was just four games and when it came to the playoffs, he kept powering forward. He only scored five goals in 20 playoff contests, which isn’t a lot by his standards, but he made his presence felt with 20 assists, including 13 where he was the primary helper. He even had an eight-game point streak in the postseason that extended through the entire Western Conference Finals and into the first four games of the Stanley Cup championships. He’s turning just 26 on Oct. 29, making him one of the younger members of Colorado’s core and someone who should play at an elite level for many years to come.

Gabriel Landeskog

Joe Sakic earned a lot of praise for staying the course in spite of past playoff disappointments and finally having that patience validated with the 2022 championship, but we nearly ended up with a very different story. Long-time team captain Landeskog was unsigned and left unprotected ahead of Seattle’s expansion draft. The Kraken ultimately didn’t capitalize on the opportunity and Colorado was able to re-sign Landeskog to an eight-year, $56 million contract the night before the free agent market opened. If things had just played out a little differently, Colorado’s fate might have changed substantially. Landeskog is the heart of the team, but he’s far more than just an important locker room presence. He’s one of the league’s best power forwards, capable of driving the play with the puck and contributing physically without it. He had 30 goals and 59 points in 51 contests last season, making it the best campaign of his career from a points-per-game perspective. To be fair, his career-high 20 shooting percentage will be hard for him to repeat in 2022-23, but then again, he didn’t regress in the playoffs. He found the back of the net with a 19.6% success rate, finishing the postseason with 11 goals and 22 points in 20 contests. His goals came in throughout the playoffs with his longest drought being just three games. That strong postseason play becomes more impressive when you consider that he missed the final 23 games of the regular season due to a knee injury that required surgery, so he was entering the most important games of the year cold and perhaps not quite 100%. He more than earned that new contract and he should continue to play a key role for Colorado this season.

Valeri Nichushkin

Taken with the 10th overall pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, it was a while before Nichushkin began to live up to his potential. His early tenure with the Dallas Stars left plenty to be desired and he even went back to the KHL for two years to hone his game. Eventually though he was able to establish himself as a solid middle-six forward with the Avalanche before truly breaking out in 2021-22. He scored 25 goals and 52 points in 62 contests last season, shattering his previous career-high of 34 points, which was recorded back in his 2013-14 rookie campaign. It helped that Nichushkin averaged 19:02 minutes in 2021-22, up from 14:05 just a year prior, but part of the reason why Colorado could lean on him so heavily was his versatility. Nichushkin can comfortably play up-and-down the lineup, being plugged in wherever needed based on the Avalanche’s changing injury situations. The 6-foot-4 forward is responsible defensively, had a strong takeaway to giveaway ratio of 38 to 24, and was a regular contributor to the Avalanche’s penalty kill. He was also Colorado’s top forward in terms of 5v5 Corsi and Fenwick at 59% and 57% respectively (min. 100 total minutes). Nichushkin continued to be an important all-around contributor for the Avalanche in their Stanley Cup-winning playoff run, finishing with nine goals and 15 points in 20 games. His hard work earned him an eight-year, $49 million contract, highlighting the Avalanche’s belief that he will be able to continue to perform at this level for a long time to come. That’s a gamble given that he only has the one great season under his belt, but when you consider his growth and skill set, it’s not a bad bet to make.

Artturi Lehkonen

With an eye towards the playoffs, the Avalanche sacrificed a good prospect in defenseman Justin Barron and a 2024 second-round pick to get Lehkonen from Montreal in March. What they were hoping for was a hard-working, middle-six forward who would offer a nice mix of grit and secondary scoring to their lineup. He ended up being that and more. With Montreal and Colorado last season, Lehkonen scored 19 goals and 38 points in 74 games while averaging 15:06 minutes. The 6-foot, 178-pound forward isn’t the most imposing presence on the ice, but there is a physical element to his game, and he can be used in shorthanded situations. He’s one of those players who typically won’t make headlines but does a lot of things well. We say typically because the 2022 playoffs were an exception. He wasn’t just a role player like he was for Montreal in their 2021 run to the Stanley Cup Final, Lehkonen was truly a difference maker in 2022, scoring eight goals and 14 points in 20 postseason games. That includes four game-winning goals in the playoffs with the highlights being both the Western Conference Finals overtime series winner and the championship-winning goal netted midway through the third period. Those two goals alone were enough to justify the price of acquiring him and cement his place in Colorado’s history. The fact that he was also a consistent factor overall was the icing on the cake. The Avalanche rewarded their playoff hero with a five-year, $22.5 million contract. Don’t expect him to continue to score at the pace he displayed in the 2022 playoffs. Instead look for him to continue to serve as a solid presence in the middle of the lineup.

J.T. Compher

Elite players are important to drive the play, but the quality of a team’s middle-of-the-lineup players can be the difference between making the playoffs and winning a championship. The 2021-22 Avalanche featured impressive depth and Compher was a part of that. He didn’t have regular linemates during the campaign with the Avalanche instead moving him up-and-down the lineup as needed, and he filled that plug-and-play role well, scoring 18 goals and 33 points in 70 contests. He averaged 16:19 minutes, which might be a bit more than you’d expect from a middle-six forward, but that’s because he was a mainstay on special teams, averaging 1:48 and 1:40 minutes on the power play and penalty kill respectively. He only took 102 shots last season, but he is tactical about when he fired the puck. On both the power-play and 5v5 situations, Compher would often put himself in front of the net, which is how he got most of his goals. The result is he had a 17.6 shooting percentage after finishing at 21.3% in 2020-21. On the draw, he saw improvements last season, posting a 51.4% success rate, compared to his pre-2021-22 career average of 47.1%. His role declined to an average of 13:41 minutes during the playoffs, but he still chipped in five goals and eight points in 20 games. The 27-year-old is set to have another serviceable campaign as he enters the final season of his four-year, $14 million contract.

Logan O'Connor

O'Connor is an example of a late bloomer who was never drafted but managed to slowly carve out a role in the NHL. After getting limited stints with the Colorado Avalanche in the previous three campaigns, the 26-year-old forward cemented was a regular last season, scoring eight goals and 24 points in 81 games. He averaged 13:52 minutes while playing primarily in a bottom-six role, though he was occasionally used on the second and even first line. Despite those opportunities with skilled forwards, O'Connor is more of a defensive presence. He led all Avalanche forwards with an average of 2:06 shorthanded minutes as well as 59 blocks. He also ranked third among Colorado forwards with 100 hits and had an impressive 17 to 38 giveaway-to-takeaway ratio. All of that adds up to a player who helps win games without getting a lot of praise for his efforts. In the playoffs he continued to play that quiet supporting role. He had a goal and four points in 17 postseason games while averaging 11:12 minutes. O'Connor is set to begin a three-year, $3.15 million contract. Over the course of that deal, he’s likely to provide more value to the Avalanche than his cap hit would dictate, but he’s going to firmly remain part of the supporting cast rather than one of their headline attractions.

Alex Newhook

After getting a taste of the NHL in 2020-21, including eight playoff games, Newhook entered the 2021-22 campaign as a prime candidate to earn a regular spot with the team. His path did include a stint in the AHL for much of October and early November, but after scoring four goals and 11 points in 10 games with the Colorado Eagles, he was summoned on Nov. 10 and never looked back. Newhook is a terrific skater with lots of offensive potential, but last season he was deployed primarily in a bottom-six capacity. That allowed him to adjust to the NHL in a lower pressure situation and made his inconsistent play easier to swallow. He had 13 goals and 33 points in 71 contests, including a few strong stretches from Nov. 11-24 (6-3-2-5), Dec. 4-10 (4-3-2-5), and Mar. 31-Apr. 16 (8-2-6-8) and plenty of slumps in between. He also struggled on the draw, winning just 34.7% of his faceoffs. That was by far the worst faceoff record of any player who had at least 250 opportunities last season with Tyson Jost being the next lowest at 39.3%. His puck possession numbers weren’t great either. He had a relative 5v5 Corsi of -4.3 and relative 5v5 Fenwick of -5.5, meaning the Avalanche were better in that regard when he wasn’t on the ice. He was used sparingly in the playoffs, registering four assists in 12 games while averaging 10:43 minutes, but being part of the Cup-winning run was still valuable experience for him. That can summarize his season in general: He wasn’t impressive, but it was valuable experience for the 21-year-old and something he can build off. His flashes of high-level play offered glimpses of what he’s capable of and what the Avalanche should see with more frequency in the future.

DEFENSE

Cale Makar

There aren’t many players out there who can look like a steal with a cap hit of $9 million, but Makar certainly qualifies. Makar started his career in 2019-20 with a bang, recording 50 points in 57 games en route to capturing the Calder Trophy and that was merely a taste of what he was capable of. In 2020-21 he finished second in Norris Trophy voting and last season he captured that prestigious award. When you look at what Makar did last season, the first thing that stands out is his work with the puck. He scored 28 goals and 86 points in 77 contests fueled in large part by his speed and creativity. But while his offensive game deservedly attracts attention, that’s not the only service he provides. He’s not big at 5-foot-11, 187 pounds, but he was credited with 95 hits last season, which was significantly more than two other top offensive defensemen, Roman Josi (66 hits) and Adam Fox (30). Makar also finished second on the Avalanche with 110 blocks and led the team with 49 takeaways. His puck possession numbers were superb too. He posted a 56.3% 5v5 Corsi and 55.7% 5v5 Fenwick, both of which were significantly better than what the team did when he was off the ice. As good as he was in the regular season though, he was even better in the playoffs, scoring eight goals and 29 points while averaging 27:04 minutes in 20 contests. After a showing like that, he was the unanimous pick for the Conn Smythe Trophy. The Calder, a Norris, the Conn Smythe, and the Stanley Cup all before his 24th birthday. We’re witnessing the early days of a very special career.

Devon Toews

Over the last few years, the Avalanche have seen the rise of two elite offensive defensemen. One is Cale Makar, who was always a highly regarded prospect and made an immediate impact when he joined the NHL. The other, Toews, was 24, older than Makar is now, when he made his NHL debut. From there Toews managed to establish himself with the Islanders, but they clearly didn’t appreciate his full potential because rather than re-sign him as a restricted free agent, they dealt him to Colorado in October 2020 for a pair of second-round picks. Colorado then inked him to a four-year, $16.4 million contract that’s proven to be a steal. He set career-highs in 2020-21 with nine goals and 31 points in 53, but he showed that was just a taste of what he could do in 2021-22 when he scored 13 goals and 57 points in 66 contests. What makes those numbers particularly impressive is the fact that the Avalanche lean heavily on Makar on the power play, forcing Toews into a more limited role in that regard. Consequently, Toews had 12 power-play points to Makar’s 34, but in terms of even-strength points, Toews had 45 to Makar’s 52. Toews was more than just another offensive defenseman for them though. He plays a fast, smart game that allows him to shine at both ends of the ice. He led the team with an average of 2:47 shorthanded minutes and was third on the squad with 45 takeaways. His outstanding play carried into the playoffs where he scored five goals and 15 points in 20 games while averaging 25:53 minutes. Makar is deservedly the headline attraction in Colorado, but Toews would qualify as the number one defenseman on most other teams.

Erik Johnson

Johnson isn’t the top pairing defenseman he once was. Age, injuries, and the rise of talented young defenders Cale Makar, Devon Toews, and Samuel Girard have combined to push Johnson down into a depth role last season. Still, having a defenseman of Johnson’s caliber in such a position was a nice luxury for the Avalanche to have. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound defenseman embraced his shutdown role, dishing out a career-high 165 hits and leading the Avalanche with 136 blocks. He also was a big part of Colorado’s penalty kill, averaging 2:36 shorthanded minutes. Overall, Johnson averaged 17:53 minutes, including almost no power-play ice time, but he still managed to chip in a bit offensively. He scored eight goals and 25 points in 77 contests. The 34-year-old served as a veteran presence for the Avalanche during their playoff run while continuing to serve in a complementary role. He had a goal and five points while averaging 17:01 minutes in 20 postseason games. He continued to play a physical game, ranking third in the league with 79 hits in the playoffs. His efforts weren’t key to the Avalanche’s postseason success, but he did his part and was rewarded with his first championship. He has one season left on his seven-year, $42 million contract and he’s frankly not going to live up to that cap hit. Unless the Avalanche are forced to deal with significant injuries this season, he’s going to spend almost all the campaign on the third pairing. Still, he’s a solid defensive defenseman who can play a bigger role if the situation calls for it.

Samuel Girard

The Avalanche’s blueline features offensive stars in Cale Makar and Devon Toews, an exciting young blueliner in Bowen Byram, and a pair of physical, shutdown defenseman who can still chip in offensively in Josh Manson and Erik Johnson. Then there’s Girard. At 5-foot-10, 170-pounds, he’s not an imposing force on the ice, but he’s also not allergic to physical play. He’s not going to put up the crazy numbers of Makar or Toews, but he is a great skater, strong with the puck, and adept on the power play. He’s not the star attraction of the Avalanche in any regard. What Girard does provide is an overall solid package and someone who slides into a top-four role even on a team with as deep a blueline as Colorado. Girard had five goals and 28 points in 67 games while averaging 21:39 minutes. Of that, he registered seven assists on the power play while being limited to an average of 1:50 minutes – roughly half of what Makar received. When it came to even strength, he was slotted wherever there happened to be a need instead of getting a consistent defensive partner. Over 10% of his total ice was shared with each of Byram, Toews, Makar, Erik Johnson, and Jack Johnson. Girard had a goal and three points in seven games to start the playoffs, but his run was abruptly halted when he suffered a broken sternum early in Game 3 of the Avalanche’s second round series against St. Louis. Going forward, there’s still a top-four slot available for Girard, but as long as he’s with Colorado, he’s not going to be a mainstay on the top power-play unit and that limits his offensive potential.

Josh Manson

When the Avalanche acquired Manson in March, he knew that he wasn’t coming in to play a starring role. The Avalanche already had a pair of elite defensemen in Cale Makar and Devon Toews who would continue to eat big minutes and power the offense from the blueline. What the Avalanche were instead looking for was a big, physical blueliner and that’s exactly what they got. Through 67 games with Anaheim and Colorado last season, the 6-foot-3, 218-pound defenseman was credited 179 hits and accumulated 65 penalty minutes, including three fighting majors. He does more than just provide grit though. He’s typically been responsible defensively and had okay 5v5 puck possession numbers in Anaheim (50.5% Corsi, 49.6% Fenwick) despite not being a significant offensive contributor. Speaking of, he finished the campaign with six goals and 16 points. That’s a far cry from the 37 points he recorded in 2017-18, but that campaign has been the exception rather than the rule in his career and he shouldn’t be counted on to ever come close to that level again. He did have some special moments in the playoffs though. Manson provided three goals and eight points in 20 playoff games, including the overtime winner in Game 1 of the second round. Although he was only a rental when Colorado acquired him, he was a good enough fit to warrant Colorado signing him to a four-year, $18 million contract. He figures to slot in as the team’s fourth or fifth defenseman and continue to serve as a major physical presence.

GOALTENDING

Alexandar Georgiev

After Colorado found themselves burned by Philipp Grubauer’s abrupt departure in the 2021 off-season, general manager Joe Sakic clearly learned from his mistakes and took a proactive approach to the team’s post-Stanley Cup free agency period. Instead of banking on talks going right with injury-prone veteran Darcy Kuemper, the Avalanche went out and dealt for a newer, younger Grubauer to take the reins for the upcoming year; for just a handful of mid-round draft picks, the team picked up New York Rangers backup Alexandar Georgiev to tandem with already-existing netminder Pavel Francouz this year.

Georgiev didn’t have the best 2021-22 campaign, posting some of the worst numbers of his career and being limited to just 33 games behind the Vezina-winning Igor Shesterkin. But despite a middling save percentage that sat considerably below the league average, Georgiev’s underlying numbers were far more reassuring for Avalanche fans – especially given the fact that he’ll see more regular starts and play behind a far more experienced defense in Colorado in comparison to what he dealt with in New York City. His game, which is far more structured positionally and depth-wise than is typical among Russian-developed goaltenders, should see a resurgence behind Colorado’s roster. And the boost of confidence that he should receive from being given a multi-year deal by Colorado could help as well; without the spectre of a possible trade constantly looming on the horizon, he could find himself feeling more comfortable and confident heading into the new season.

Projected starts: 50-55

Pavel Francouz

The Colorado Avalanche finally won their Stanley Cup – and while their goaltending was far from the most valuable performance exhibited during either the regular season or the playoffs, there’s something to be said for the consistent success that the now-32-year-old Pavel Francouz has displayed during his three years on the roster. The biggest concern for Colorado, once again, won’t be Francouz’s abilities; when he’s healthy, he’s both effective and reliable. But after missing an entire season for injury, Francouz struggled to elevate his game above the average marker last year. He didn’t post many truly poor starts, but neither did he post many truly top-tier ones, either. And as he continues to progress on the wrong side of 30, it’s hard to feel comfortable with how healthy he can stay – especially if Georgiev does need a little extra help in the new year. The Avalanche haven’t made many bad calls with their goaltending at the NHL level in the last handful of years, so there’s less worry than other teams might face with the same tandem. But even so, it’s hard to put this one-two punch down as a clear top-tier tandem for the upcoming season until they’ve proven they’re both able to be exactly what they’ve been before.

Projected starts: 35-40

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Colorado Avalanche Top 20 Prospects

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 12:50:07 +0000

McKeen's Top 20 Colorado Avalanche prospects for the 2020-21 season. You can read an organizational assessment prior to the draft in Ryan Wagman's article found here. Following the draft we provided a review on each teams performance based on our rankings found here.

Bowen Byram, D (4^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

Skating makes Byram an up-tempo offensive dynamo who can carry the puck from end to end. He can shoot with the best of them, has an effective one-timer, a half slap shot, a good wrist shot when he leans into one, but also has an effective throw-it-at-the-net shot that beats the first forward. He also has excellent vision and passing skills to carve open defenses that overcommit to shutting him down. He is an excellent defender transitioning from the offensive blueline into a more attacking position in the slot. His edges, speed and fluidity make him hard to defend in open space at the top of the blue line which enables him to beat guys one on one. He sees the play unfolding in front of him, he can hit a homerun pass, skate himself out of trouble and make smart simple plays with the puck. He can create his own space and can drive the net. His defensive game has shown some modest improvements, particularly in his gaps and his recovering ability. Byram has all the tools to develop into a top pairing offensive weapon who will quarterback a powerplay at the next level. - VG

Alex Newhook, C (16^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 3)

Newhook has been earning awards and scoring accolades since he was around 13 years old, something that he was able to maintain in his freshman season at Boston College, being named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team, the Hockey East Rookie of the Year, the New England Rookie of the Year, and the NCAA Top Collegiate Rookie. He also ranked second nationally in scoring amongst freshmen. Newhook first lined up as a left winger last season, but then was moved to center to split up the scoring balance on the team. The move also helped him reach another level. Skating is probably his best asset – he is extremely fast, and he also moves well laterally. He can weave in and out effortlessly, cycles very well in the offensive zone, and is especially good on the power play. He has a good shot. He sees the ice well and knows how to be patient. He doesn’t have the biggest frame, but he is nevertheless good at protecting the puck. Newhook certainly has the size, skating and scoring ability to make it to the NHL, where he projects as a potential first liner. - JS

Justus Annunen, G (64^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 8)

Annunen reads the play really well, he is square to the puck and does not give shooters much room to shoot at. He seldom needs to make flashy, athletic saves, even though he is capable of them. He remains patient and does not commit to shooters too soon. At times he even uses anticipation to make saves on high-danger shots. He is confident in his abilities and his calm demeanor gives him an advantage in many situations. He moves well from post to post and has quick reactions and a fast glove hand with very good rebound control. Furthermore, he is vocal and communicates well with his defensemen. On the downside, the 6-4” netminder has only modest puck handling skills. When he handles the puck outside of the crease, he most often gives a simple, short pass, or rims the puck up the ice. He rarely attempts to make long-range passes, even if there is an opportunity to do so. This might be a matter of confidence because he seems hesitant when he has to play the puck. At the end of the day, Annunen has the tools to be a starting goalie in the NHL. - MB

Martin Kaut, RW (16^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 4)

A highly regarded two-way winger, Kaut has sometimes struggled with a lack of offensive assertiveness, but he has more confidence in his shot in additional to improving speed of late. That boosted speed has made him more of an enticing prospect, now combining his great technical skating skill with more tempo when he has the puck. A pest on defense, his hockey IQ is superb and he plays deep and physical in his own zone, challenging opposing wingers against the wall with his 6-2” frame and essentially playing as a third defenseman, which includes his work on the penalty kill. Kaut’s quick, heavy wrist shot is difficult for goaltenders to handle, and his shot placement - oftentimes shooting to generate a rebound - is solid, especially on the rush. His ceiling is as a top-six two-way winger who can play an auxiliary role to a Nazem Kadri type, and with his maturity and adaptability being no issue, he should contend for a spot on the roster as soon as next season. - TD

Conor Timmins, D (32^nd overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 6)

Considering how quickly Timmins acclimated himself to the pro ranks, it is easy to forget that he missed the entirety of the 2018-19 season while recovering from post-concussion syndrome. Thrown on the Eagles’ top defense pair his puck-moving prowess also showed out. With high-end hockey sense and responsibility, he played heavy penalty kill minutes and was particularly effective at battling opponents against the boards, using his size to win puck battles. Effective at creating plays with his hands and through passing, he also contributed during on the power play. He does not have dynamic speed or skill, but he has the technical skating ability that allows him to carry the puck out of the zone and push the offense the other way. His gaps are very tight, but he is prone to being beat on the outside with his lack of speed, which means he will have to improve his stick work at the blueline or play more passive defending. Timmins projects as a middle-pair shutdown guy who specializes in protecting leads or matching up with an opponent’s top line, but he will need another year or two in the AHL first. – TD

Justin Barron, D (25^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

A blood clot wiped out a large portion of Barron’s draft year, and when he did play, he struggled on the bottom feeding Mooseheads. Reports were positive enough by the time the draft rolled around that Colorado was comfortable taking him in the first round. The right-shooting defender has good size and moves extremely well at that size. With his strong positioning, gap control, and ability to separate attackers from the puck, he projects as a high end defensive player in the NHL; perhaps better if he can increase his physical intensity to be more consistently menacing. Where the concern now lies is projecting Barron’s offensive game and his impact as a puck mover. While his mobility is a major asset and he flashes the ability to be a lead attacker in transition, his puck skill and game management are not dynamic. His decision making with the puck also appeared to take a step backward last year as he was asked to take on a leadership role. It is also possible that last year was a poor indication of his abilities, faced with the pressure of leading a rebuilding team and recuperating from a serious ailment. – BO

Shane Bowers, C (Trade: Nov. 5, 2017. Originally: 28^th overall, 2017 [Ottawa]. Previous ranking: 5)

In his first full pro season, Bowers showed why he was originally taken with a late first round pick by Ottawa, before being packaged in the Matt Duchene trade in 2017. Tempo and skill are what define the Boston University alum’s game, and his two-way domination of his opponents in 2019-20 was predicated upon exactly those features of his game. Hard on the forecheck and relentlessly physical on the penalty kill, Bowers is smart, attentive, and takes pride in helping his blueliners on defense. Offensively, he possesses great one-on-one skill and likes to pressure defenders by taking the puck deep in the zone and making plays from below the goal line, though he can be inconsistent with the puck and try to force plays that aren’t there. Playing with energy and pace, the Halifax native specializes in doing the grunt work and letting his more-skilled teammates shine, which makes his ceiling of a checking line, PK centerman one he can surely achieve soon. - TD

Sampo Ranta, LW (78^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

The pros and cons of Sampo Ranta have remained the same since his draft year with Sioux City of the USHL. Based on his raw tools alone, the Finnish winger is dynamic enough to rank in the top three or four of this system. He is a strong skater, with excellent edge work giving him great agility. He plays a high pace and constantly puts defenders on their heels. He reads the game well and makes decisions quickly at both ends of the ice. He has an NHL frame. He can play an assertive style and impose his will on the game. He even does so physically on occasion, throwing his weight around in the service of puck recovery. On the con side, Ranta’s production has never matched his skills. He couldn’t reach the point-per-game mark in his draft year in the USHL, and while his sophomore scoring for the Golden Gophers was a notch better than his work as a freshman, it can’t be considered more than secondary yet. Ranta may make that leap, with his outputs matching his inputs, and if he does, he could be a top six player. If that step never comes, there are enough ingredients here for a good bottom six forward at the highest level. – RW

Jean-Luc Foudy, C (75^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Speed is the name of the game here. Like his brother Liam, Jean-Luc Foudy is an elite level skater. He carves up open ice with his explosiveness and agility. Not only is he quick, but his lateral skating is equally good, allowing him to change direction smoothly even at top speed. Using his speed, he is a high-level playmaker when attacking the offensive zone. He backs up defenders and opens up scoring lanes for his linemates as he circles the offensive zone until he sees an opening. Where Foudy struggles is finding ways to consistently break through to the middle of the ice. He can be neutralized by patient defenders who keep him to the perimeter. Shooting is not a strength either, so his attacks can be predictable at times, leading to too many attacks that end in the corner, or trapped in the neutral zone. Between his high-end athleticism, skating ability, and playmaking potential, he projects as a potential impact forward as long as additional physical maturity leads to more confidence in his ability to play through traffic. – BO

Nikolai Kovalenko, RW (171^st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 19)

The son of former NHLer Andrei Kovalenko, Nikolai is coming off a breakout season in the KHL with Lokomotiv. His 21 points were the second most of any U21 player in the league. With terrific bloodlines, his best strength is his hockey sense. He is an active player without the puck, who keeps his feet moving in the offensive zone to seek out scoring chances, and a strong two-way player whose physicality makes him an all situations kind of player. Next year, Kovalenko will return to Lokomotiv and will look to improve his offensive numbers even further. However, his KHL contract is up after the 2020-21 season, which opens up the possibility that he makes the jump to North America after that. He projects as a middle six winger for the Avalanche and is not likely to put up the kind of offensive seasons that his father did with Edmonton and Quebec/Colorado, although he can still be a very valuable NHLer. - BO

Alex Beaucage, RW (78^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 16)

Beaucage is an analytics darling and a player with hidden pro potential as a third-round pick. He has the size to terrorize and he has the scoring touch to be a threat from any location on the ice. He maintained his offensive flair this season as the number one option on his Huskies team, leading the team in scoring after winning the Memorial Cup last year. He has his warts, and the Monsters will have to “coach the junior out of him” when he arrives, but he shows potential to be an NHLer on a middle line. His skating is strong enough to work in the pros but could use some refinement, and his play without the puck, as with many junior scorers, could use some attention, but he is strong in puck pursuit on the backcheck, which is encouraging. He will take a little while to get there, but he has the chance to be a solid secondary scorer at the NHL level. – MS

Colby Ambrosio, C (118^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

While Ambrosio has scored more than he has created for his linemates, the highlight of his game is his immense skillset playing the puck made more impressive as he rarely overplays the puck. He generally plays a simple game, saving his best moves for troubling scenarios, where he can make defenders and netminders look silly. He has great hands in tight and a knack for making something good happen. The shot – particularly his hard wrister and his one-timer from the Ovechkin spot on the power play - is also an absolute weapon. Ambrosio is a volume shooter, who is liable to let one go from anywhere in the offensive zone. That propensity seems to be related to his hands, as he is fond of making sharp angle shots and will sometimes rush one off. There are some concerns with his size deficit as well as average-at-best skating, a troubling combination, although he is fairly agile. Furthermore, while he reads the play well, tends to make the right decision, and plays hard, but is not always the one to get the play into the heart of high-danger country. – RW

Dennis Gilbert, D (Trade: Oct. 10, 2020. Originally: 91^st overall, 2015 [Chicago]. Previous ranking: 8 [Chicago])

Gilbert is a throwback defender who stays back, hits, blocks shots, and imposes physical play on his opponents. He is also a wonderful skater who can push the puck up and out of his own zone with ease. He has been a solid defensive defenseman with his smart, tight gaps and physical tools, locking up his opponents against the boards and stealing the puck with his length. He can move the puck out of trouble on his own and is capable of moving through the neutral zone with the puck but lacks the puck-handling skill to beat defenders one-on-one. That is what is most frustrating about Gilbert’s game; there are offensive defensemen in this sport who would kill to skate the way the he can, and yet Gilbert does very little with it, providing few points from the backend and showing little offensive confidence. It is not his game, but he plays a solid enough stay-at-home game to make himself useful regardless. He played 21 games on Chicago’s bottom pair before going down with a wrist injury and that is where you can expect Gilbert to play going forward, albeit now as a member of the Avalanche organization. – TD

Ryder Rolston, RW (139^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

A late birthday member of the 2019 USNTDP group, Rolston was expected to dominate in his draft year with Waterloo and there were stretches when he did just that (14 points in the final nine games of 2019). But he also had long fallow stretches (eight and five game stretches after New Year’s with a single point during each). Like his father, longtime New Jersey Devil Brian, Ryder is a fantastic skater, featuring an impressive first few steps to give him a quick advantage, with a heavy shot and a promising two-way game. His hands can play fast as well, but he doesn’t dazzle with puck skills so much as show promising ability to maintain possession under duress. He will need to add some East-West to his game at Notre Dame to be less predictable, and less prone to finding his rushes dying in the corners, taking better advantage of his plus agility, and let his tools play to their level, but the core pieces of a valuable player are there. – RW

Logan O’Connor, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed 23, 2018. Previous ranking: 12)

A former captain of the University of Denver men’s hockey team, whose rink sits just over six miles from the Avalanche’s arena in downtown Denver, O’Connor was a training camp invite who earned an ELC and promptly dominated the AHL in his 2018-19 rookie pro season. A very good skater who brings loads of energy to the ice, the native of well-known hockey hotbed Missouri City, Texas is creative with the puck and while he is not a dangler, he can beat defenders with speed and inventiveness. Capable of playing all three forward spots and up-and-down the lineup, his talent is matched only by his versatility, which makes him an easy player to recall and insert anywhere on the depth chart. Smart and on the Colorado Eagles penalty kill, the 24-year-old excels in operating at the top of the defensive zone and closing down passing lanes. It is hard to imagine him as a point-scorer at the NHL level (just two goals in 16 games in his stint with the Avs this season), but he is so well-versed and reliable that he can have a long career as a utility figure in Colorado’s deep forward lineup. - TD

Danila Zhuravlyov, D (146^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 13)

Zhuravlyov is a highly mobile defenseman with smooth pivots and strong edges. He has a powerful stride and good acceleration; the puck does not slow him down when he carries it up the ice. He is strong on his skates. He shows awareness both with and without the puck. He reads plays well and has a good eye for the game. He intercepts passes and clogs lanes in his own end. He maintains correct defensive side positioning and keeps opponents on the perimeter, protecting the middle of the ice efficiently. He is strong with his hands and wins stick battles. Offensively, he makes sound decisions with the puck and can move it quickly. He also distributes the puck well in the offensive zone and has a heavy shot. Zhuravlyov has a lot of tools: the skating ability, puck skills, smarts and athleticism. He is only going to get better as he gains more KHL experience and additional strength. - MB

Drew Helleson, D (47^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 10)

Helleson is a defensive defenseman. He might not contribute a lot offensively, but he is solid. After spending two years at Shattuck St. Mary’s, he joined the USNTDP. He also played for the U.S. in the U-17 World Hockey Classic and again in the U-18 World Junior Championship. While he is a stay at home defender, he moves very well - especially given his 6-2” frame. Helleson has a long reach that he uses well. He won’t wow you, but he is extremely solid. He protects the puck well and doesn’t make many mistakes. And at only 19 years of age, that is a good sign - especially for a freshman defender still adjusting to college hockey. Since Helleson isn’t much of an offensive contributor, speed will be his biggest asset in determining how he fares at the next level, as he will have to prove that he can keep up with faster opponents. - JS

Sasha Mutala, RW (140^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: UR)

Mutala has a modest offensive arsenal but he makes the most of it. There is a nice blend of size, speed and grit that make him a pretty effective player in any game scenario. He has very good speed on the top and pretty good agility and footwork overall. He has good vision and passing skills and has an above average shot. None of his offensive tools are really eye catching but it doesn’t prevent him from being an effective player. He can play with a bit of sandpaper and work the down low game very effectively, using his size to protect the puck. He isn’t a huge physical presence on the ice but he is not intimidated by physical play. He isn’t a great puck handler, but his skills are fine for the style of game he plays. In the future he is likely to peak at a 3rd line winger who helps on the penalty kill, and is sound defensively, keeping his opponent honest everywhere on the ice. - VG

Luka Burzan, C (171^st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: UR)

Burzan has continued to grow and evolve since being drafted. He has a solid combination of speed and competitiveness that make him attractive as a potential bottom six player. He has a solid defensive game and is a capable of creating turnovers, getting in lanes and engaging physically in his own zone. He generates rush opportunities by keeping pressure on the puck and is very effective on the fore and back check because of his puck pursuit. He doesn’t wow with his hands or one on one skills, but he is a capable puck handler. His offensive game really is driven from two things: puck pressure and willingness to get to the net. Both of those features are predominant in his production. He has a good ability to find space around the crease, find the puck and find room to release it. 32 of his 37 goals last season were from below and between the dots (stats from Instatsport.com), so he is a player that will go to the net. Due to this I think his offense will translate a bit better than most guys projected for bottom six roles. – VG

Trent Miner, G (202^nd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 16)

A smaller netminder by modern standards, Miner went from the heavy side of a goaltending platoon in his draft year, to the short end of the stick last season, losing time to the better performing David Tendeck, an Arizona prospect. We expect him to regain full control of the crease once the 2020-21 WHL season gets underway, giving him a chance to show that steady presence between the pipes, coupled with his ability to track play as well as his solid puck skills, will be worth an NHL contract with the Avalanche. Miner may be notably further away from an NHL career than Adam Werner (the other primary candidate for this slot), who also has much more impressive size, but Miner has also shown greater consistency and the ability to maintain a higher level of play over longer stretches in recent years than has Werner. If more consistent minutes allow Miner to play up to his potential, it will be hard for Colorado to avoid his potential as a future NHL backup and not award him with an ELC. - RW

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – COLORADO AVALANCHE – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 9

Rachel Howard — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 17:54:37 +0000

Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche do not have the best system in the game, but they are in the upper end of that discussion. Let’s call this a top quartile system.

Much like the prospect depth, the Colorado Avalanche NHL team may not be the best team in hockey, but they are up there. Their regular season points percentage was tied for third in the league with Tampa, behind only Boston and St. Louis.

Tampa also has a very good system (although not as good as Colorado’s) and, as mentioned above, has been exceptional at the NHL level, too. But Colorado holds a clear edge in at least one area. Whereas the Lightning are firmly in the middle of their contention cycle, the Avalanche are still very early in theirs. The Avalanche have a younger roster at the NHL level and at the AHL level. This is both in terms of actual age as well as league experience.

At the NHL level, the implication should be clear. Not only is this team young, and talented, but with so many top players still early in their respective careers, that means the team is still paying a good number of them entry level, or second contracts. In other words, the players are largely playing on very affordable deals. They only have four players with cap hits over $5 million, although Samuel Girard will be a fifth as of next season. Eventually Cale Makar and others will be in line for raises, sometimes substantial ones, but for now, we are looking at a team with its core locked up.

Two paragraphs earlier, I mentioned how the franchise’s AHL club, the Colorado Eagles, also sports a young and inexperienced. For some organizations, that may not be of much note, but for Colorado, it is notable as a substantial number of their top young prospects are already playing at the AHL level, instead of in the CHL, college, or Europe. A full third of the club’s top 15 prospects already spent all of last season in the AHL. Some of those players have already tasted the NHL and all of them project to make the leap within the next year or two. And this does not even include the team’s top three prospects, who are, respectively, still in the CHL, college and Europe. Those players (or at least the two position players among them) may just be talented enough to skip the AHL altogether and make their professional debuts right in the NHL. In other words, the Avalanche, already young and talented, are due to get a new injection of young talent to the roster.

Having so many prospects on the cusp of the NHL and thereby losing their prospect-eligible status means that this list is soon going to be on the downswing. A good problem to have, surely, but another problem the Avalanche seem well equipped to handle. In addition to the prospects here that are further from the NHL, the Avalanche have not fallen into the trap so many competitive teams have, in trading away picks and prospects by the bushel full to help widen their contention window. I am sure they will eventually, but as of this writing the team goes into the 2020 draft with six picks to its credit, missing only a second rounder. So as each blue chipper graduates to the NHL, the organization will simply replenish their stocks with others.

DENVER, CO - JULY 13: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Bowen Byram (45) skates during a training session at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado on July 13, 2020. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire)

Bowen Byram, D (4^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 2)

Byram came out of the gate a bit sluggish this year in Vancouver but by the end of the season was firmly back in his role as the top offensive defender he was in his draft year.

His skating makes him an up-tempo offensive dynamo who can carry the puck from end to end. He can shoot with the best of them, has an effective one-timer, a half slap shot, a good wrist shot when he leans into one, but also has an effective throw-it-at-the-net shot that beats the first forward. Take away his shot and he still has excellent vision and passing skills to carve open a defense that over commits to shutting him down.

He is as good of a defender as there is in the WHL in transitioning from the offensive blueline into a more attacking position in the slot. His edges, speed and fluidity make him hard to defend in open space at the top of the blue line which enables him to beat guys one on one. He is a the player you want skating the puck out of his own zone as he sees the play unfolding in front of him, he can hit a homerun pass, skate himself out of trouble and make smart simple plays with the puck. He can create his own space and once he gets a step on a defender can drive the net.

His defensive game has shown some modest improvements as his gaps are better and he is able to recover better after his offensive rushes. He has all the tools to develop into a top pairing offensive weapon who will quarterback a powerplay at the next level. - VG

Alex Newhook, C (16^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 3)

Colorado’s second 2019 first rounder was tied for Boston College’s scoring lead as a rookie. Newhook, a prolific scorer, has been earning awards and scoring accolades since he was around 13 years old, leading the NLBAAHL and the ETAHL in both goals and points. After playing prep hockey at St. Andrew’s College, a top program in Ontario, he spent two seasons in the BCHL.

In his second season, when he captained the Victoria Grizzlies, he led the BCHL in scoring and was named the league’s most valuable player. Moving on to BC, he was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team, the Hockey East Rookie of the Year, the New England Rookie of the Year, and the NCAA Top Collegiate Rookie. He ranked second nationally in scoring amongst freshman, behind only Harvard’s Nick Abruzzese. At Boston College, Newhook first played as a left wing but then was moved to center to split up the scoring balance on the team. The move helped Newhook reach another level.

Skating is probably his best asset – he is an extremely fast skater, and he also moves well laterally. He can weave in and out effortlessly and cycles very well in the offensive zone and is especially good on the power play. He has a good shot. Newhook sees the ice well and knows how to be patient. He doesn’t have the biggest frame, but he is nevertheless good at protecting the puck. Newhook certainly has the size, skating and scoring ability to make it to the NHL, where he projects as a potential first liner. - JS

Justus Annunen, G (64^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 8)

Annunen had a very solid 2019-20 season with Kärpät in the Liiga. His performance at the World Juniors was also impressive as he helped the Finnish team reach fourth place. He was excellent against both Sweden and USA, giving his team a chance to win on both occasions.

He reads the play really well; he is square to the puck and does not give shooters much room to shoot at. He seldom needs to make flashy, athletic saves, even though he is capable of doing so. The thing that is most noticeable to me is his calmness. He remains patient and does not commit to shooters too soon. At times he even uses anticipation to make saves on high-danger shots. He is confident in his abilities and his calm demeanor gives him an advantage in many situations.

He moves well from post to post and has quick reactions and a fast glove hand with very good rebound control. Furthermore, he is vocal and communicates well with his defensemen. On the downside, the 6-4” netminder has only modest puck handling skills. When he handles the puck outside of the crease, he most often gives a simple, short pass or rims the puck up the ice. He rarely attempts to give long-range passes, even if there is an opportunity to do so. I think this might be a matter of confidence because he seems hesitant when he has to make a play with the puck. At the end of the day, Annunen has the tools to be a starting goalie in the NHL. - MB

Martin Kaut, RW (16^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 4)

A highly regarded two-way winger, Kaut would have eventually made an NHL roster for the long term based entirely on his defensive play, but it helps when you take a big step up in your offensive contribution in your second year in North America.

A 2018 first rounder, the Czech who twice represented his homeland in the World Juniors struggled with a lack of offensive assertiveness but unlocked a confidence in his shot and improving speed as he gained experience. After missing all of November recovering from a concussion, he scored five goals and added 11 assists in 21 games, earning a nine-game trial run with the Avalanche when Mikko Rantanen went down, during which the 20-year-old scored his first NHL goal.

The aforementioned boosted speed has made him more of an enticing prospect, now combining his great technical skating skill with more tempo when he has the puck. A pest on defense, his rink sense is superb and he plays deep and physical in his own zone, challenging opposing wingers against the wall with his 6-2” frame and essentially playing as a third defenseman, which includes his penalty kill work.

His quick, heavy wrist shot is difficult for goaltenders to handle, and his shot placement - oftentimes shooting to generate a rebound - is solid, especially on the rush. His ceiling is as a top-six two-way winger who can play an auxiliary role to a Nazem Kadri type, and with his maturity and adaptability being no issue, he should contend for a spot on the roster as soon as next season. - TD

Conor Timmins, D (32^nd overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 6)

Considering how quickly the stocky Canadian has been able to acclimate himself to the pro ranks and contribute in all ways to AHL Colorado, it is easy to forget that Timmins missed the entirety of the 2018-19 season while recovering from post-concussion syndrome. Thrown on the Eagles’ top defense pair for the majority of the abridged 2019-20 AHL season, he ate minutes like most defensemen of his style do, but his puck-moving prowess also showed out as the season went along.

With high-end hockey sense and responsibility, the former Team Canada World Junior representative played heavy penalty kill minutes and was particularly effective at battling opponents against the boards and using his size to dislodge the puck from others. Effective at creating plays with his hands and through passing, he also contributed during some power play time. He does not have dynamic speed or skill, but he has the technical skating ability that allows him to carry the puck out of the zone solo and push the offense the other way.

His gaps are very tight, and he is prone to being beat on the outside with his lack of speed, which means he will have to improve on his stick activity at the blueline or play more passive on defense. The 2017 second-rounder out of Sault St. Marie projects to be a middle-pair shutdown guy who specializes in protecting leads or matching up with an opponent’s top line, but he will need another year or two to season himself in the AHL. - TD

Shane Bowers, C (Trade: Nov. 5, 2017. Originally: 28^th overall, 2017 [Ottawa]. 2019 Rank: 5)

Hard on the forecheck and relentlessly physical on the penalty kill, Bowers is smart, attentive, and takes pride in helping his blueliners on defense. Offensively, he possesses great one-on-one skill and likes to pressure defenders by taking the puck deep in the zone and making plays from below the goal line, though he can be inconsistent with the puck and try to force plays that aren’t there.

Playing with energy and pace, the Halifax native specializes in doing the grunt work and letting his more-skilled teammates shine, which makes his ceiling of a checking line, PK centerman one he can surely achieve soon. - TD

Sampo Ranta, LW (78^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 9)

He is a strong skater, with excellent edge work giving him great agility. He plays a high pace and constantly puts defenders on their heels. He reads the game well and makes decisions quickly at both ends of the ice. He has an NHL frame. He can play an assertive style and impose his will on the game. He even does so physically on occasion, throwing his weight around in the service of puck recovery.

On the con side, Ranta’s production has never matched his skills. He couldn’t reach the point-per-game mark in his draft year in the USHL, and while his sophomore scoring for the Golden Gophers was a notch better than his work as a freshman, it can’t be considered more than secondary yet.

Ranta may make that leap, with his outputs matching his inputs, and if he does, he could be a top six player. If that step never comes, there are enough ingredients here for a good bottom six forward at the highest level. - RW

Nikolai Kovalenko, RW (171^st overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 19)

Next year, Kovalenko will return to Lokomotiv and will look to improve his offensive numbers even further. However, his KHL contract is up after the 2020-21 season, which opens up the possibility that he makes the jump to North America after that. He projects as a middle six winger for the Avalanche and is not likely to put up the kind of offensive seasons that his father did with Edmonton and Quebec/Colorado, although he can still be a very valuable NHLer. - BO

Alex Beaucage, RW (78^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 16)

Beaucage is an analytics darling and a player with hidden pro potential as a third round pick. He has the size to terrorize and he has the scoring touch to be a threat from any location on the ice. He maintained his offensive flair this season as the number one option on his Huskies team, leading the team in scoring after winning the Memorial Cup last year.

He has his warts, and the Monsters will have to “coach the junior out of him” when he arrives, but he shows potential to be an NHLer on a middle line. His skating is strong enough to work in the pros but could use some refinement, and his play without the puck, as with many junior scorers, could use some attention, but he is strong in puck pursuit on the backcheck, which is encouraging.

He will take a little while to get there, but he has the chance to be a solid secondary scorer at the NHL level. - MS

Logan O’Connor, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed 23, 2018. 2019 Rank: 12)

Capable of playing all three forward spots and up-and-down the lineup, his talent is matched only by his versatility, which makes him an easy player to recall and insert anywhere on the depth chart. Smart and on the Colorado Eagles penalty kill, the 24-year-old excels in operating at the top of the defensive zone and closing down passing lanes.

It is hard to imagine him as a point-scorer at the NHL level (just two goals in 16 games in his stint with the Avs this season), but he is so well-versed and reliable that he can have a long career as a utility figure in Colorado’s deep forward lineup. - TD

Danila Zhuravlyov, D (146^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 13)

He shows awareness both with and without the puck. He reads plays well and has a good eye for the game. He intercepts passes and clogs lanes in his own end. He maintains correct defensive side positioning and keeps opponents on the perimeter, protecting the middle of the ice efficiently. He is strong with his hands and wins stick battles.

Offensively, he makes sound decisions with the puck and can move it quickly. He also distributes the puck well in the offensive zone and has a heavy shot. Zhuravlyov has a lot of tools: the skating ability, puck skills, smarts and athleticism. He is only going to get better as he gains more KHL experience and additional strength. - MB

Drew Helleson, D (47^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 10)

While he is a stay at home defender, he moves very well - especially given his 6-2” frame. Helleson has a long reach that he uses well. He won’t wow you, but he is extremely solid. He protects the puck well and doesn’t make many mistakes. And at only 19 years of age, that is a good sign - especially for a freshman defender still adjusting to college hockey.

Since Helleson isn’t much of an offensive contributor, speed will be his biggest asset in determining how he fares at the next level, as he will have to prove that he can keep up with faster opponents. - JS

Sasha Mutala, RW (140^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

He can play with a bit of sandpaper and work the down low game very effectively, using his size to protect the puck. He isn’t a huge physical presence on the ice, but he is not intimidated by physical play. He isn’t a great puck handler, but his skills are fine for the style of game he plays. In the future he is likely to peak at a third line winger who helps on the penalty kill, and is sound defensively, keeping his opponent honest everywhere on the ice. - VG

J. Greer, LW (39^thoverall, 2015. 2019 Rank: UR)

A scrappy, all-situations forward who just completed his fourth season at the AHL level, Greer possesses a unique combination of size, shooting dexterity, and underrated offensive skill. Always game to push the pace from shift to shift, the 2015 second-rounder is adept at making soft plays with his hands for a 6-3” guy and has enough physical tools to be useful off the puck, especially on offense, where he can operate down low as a cycle option or a net-front presence.

Defensively he is reliable, as the 23-year-old can pin down forwards against the boards and effectively cut off defensemen from pinching against the wall. Without much skating speed aside from his average acceleration and decent topflight pace, or any standout attributes that make him a unique prospect, I don’t know how he would fit into an NHL roster. But then again, he is still only 23 and can make for a useful fourth-line player in the future if salary cap issues arise in Denver. - TD

Luka Burzan, C (171^st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

He generates rush opportunities by keeping pressure on the puck and is very effective on the fore and back check because of his puck pursuit. He doesn’t wow with his hands or one on one skills, but he is a capable puck handler. His offensive game really is driven from two things: puck pressure and willingness to get to the net. Both of those features are predominant in his production. He has a good ability to find space around the crease, find the puck and find room to release it. 32 of his 37 goals last season were from below and between the dots (stats from Instatsport.com), so he is a player that will go to the net. Due to this I think his offense will translate a bit better than most guys projected for bottom six roles. - VG

MCKEENS 2020 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT – TOP 250 PROSPECTS

McKeens Hockey; Article by Ryan Wagman — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 11:50:55 +0000

I write these words less than 24 hours after the Dallas Stars took game one of the Stanley Cup Finals against the heavily favored Tampa Bay Lightning. Unlike most seasons wherein the end of the Stanley Cup marks the beginning of off-season player movement, this year teams have taken an early start to the transactional Ferris wheel as many expect the upcoming offseason (from the awarding of the Cup, through to the draft in the first week of October to the start of the 2020-21 season perhaps as soon as early December, pending COVID trends in North America) to be especially turbulent.

We have seen a few trades of NHL pieces, one deal which impacted this guidebook, as Toronto sent Kasperi Kapanen to Pittsburgh and Swedish winger Filip Hallander was among those coming back to Toronto. Hallander was our selection for the second-best prospect in the Penguins system and now holds that title for the Maple Leafs. That trade knocked the Penguins down a few slots on our organizational rankings and allowed Toronto to go the other way accordingly.

Of course, with the draft roughly 17 days away, and with it a complete re-shuffling of the organizational rankings, this is just a snapshot in time of how every team’s system shakes up. We will re-run this list, incorporating the drafted players, in our pre-season fantasy guide, where we will expand the lists up to 20.

What you are about to dive into is a comprehensive list of all prospect eligible players on all 31 teams. To hold prospect eligibility, a player needs to 25 or younger, as of September 15, 2020. All skaters need to have played less than 60 career games, with no more than 35 of those games coming in a single season (or 25 for this past shortened season). For goalies, the age criteria remain the same, but the games played benchmark drops to 30 career games and 20 in a given season (or 15 last year). Any cutoff that does not hew exactly to the Calder Trophy award criteria is, by nature, arbitrary, but we aim to be inclusive for all players who have not yet cemented NHL jobs and/or have not had a prolonged chance to prove himself capable – or incapable.

We rank 15 per team, as depth is as important as the high end. Our goal is to identify players who could – if they have an advocate for them within the team’s braintrust – play a role in the NHL. These players were identified through our thorough vetting of each prospect across the globe, assigning scores, or grades, to five areas for skaters (skating, shot, puck skills, smarts, physicality) and six for netminders (athleticism/speed/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, positioning/technique, rebound control, and puck handling). Depending on the position, the grades are run through an algorithm to come up with an overall future projection (OFP).

The OFP, if the scout is being honest, measures the future role we anticipate the prospect being able to hold. A 50 score is the lower threshold to be a regular 4^th line forward, or bottom pairing defender. Grades over 56 are potential top line/pairing skaters. The grades in between, obviously project to the middle of the lineup.

As we are reminded every year, development is not linear. Some players take unexpected sudden leaps forward (see Marino, John), and others stagnate (see Ho-Sang, Josh), and many do exactly what we expect of them when they are given the chance. As much as I trust the analysts in our team, I can also tell you that this exercise is always humbling. There will be at least one player who we rate highly who bombs. There will be at least one player who did not feature on his team’s top 15 who becomes an NHL regular next year. We accept those errors in judgment and promise you, our faithful subscriber, that we will learn from them and refine our work for next year, as we learn just as NHL teams learn.

Until then, please enjoy this snapshot view of the future of the beautiful, frozen game. Putting this together has provided at least some sense of normalcy during this crazy summer.

NHL	RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	Acquired
Ana	1	Trevor Zegras	C	19	6-0/170	Boston University (HE)	`19(9th)
Min	2	Kirill Kaprizov	LW	23	5-10/200	CSKA (KHL)	`15(135th)
Col	3	Bowen Byram	D	19	6-0/195	Vancouver (WHL)	`19(4th)
Buf	4	Dylan Cozens	C	19	6-3/185	Lethbridge (WHL)	`19(7th)
Fla	5	Spencer Knight	G	19	6-3/195	Boston College (HE)	`19(13th)
VGK	6	Peyton Krebs	C	19	5-11/180	Winnipeg (WHL)	`19(17th)
Ari	7	Victor Soderstrom	D	19	5-11/180	Brynas (Swe)	`19(11th)
Mtl	8	Cole Caufield	RW	19	5-7/165	Wisconsin (B1G)	`19(15th)
Van	9	Vasili Podkolzin	RW	19	6-1/190	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	`19(10th)
Edm	10	Philip Broberg	D	19	6-3/200	Skelleftea AIK (Swe)	`19(8th)
Tor	11	Nick Robertson	LW	19	5-9/160	Peterborough (OHL)	`19(53rd)
Col	12	Alex Newhook	C	19	5-10/195	Boston College (HE)	`19(16th)
Det	13	Moritz Seider	D	19	6-3/185	Grand Rapids (AHL)	`19(6th)
Fla	14	Grigori Denisenko	LW	20	5-11/185	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	`18(15th)
Min	15	Matthew Boldy	LW	19	6-1/190	Boston College (HE)	`19(12th)
NJ	16	Ty Smith	D	20	5-10/180	Spokane (WHL)	`18(17th)
LA	17	Alex Turcotte	C	19	5-11/185	Wisconsin (B1G)	`19(5th)
Nsh	18	Philip Tomasino	C	19	5-11/180	Nia-Osh (OHL)	`19(24th)
Pit	19	Samuel Poulin	LW	19	6-1/205	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	`19(21st)
Wsh	20	Connor McMichael	C	19	5-11/175	London (OHL)	`19(25th)
LA	21	Gabriel Vilardi	RW	21	6-3/200	Ontario (AHL)	`17(11th)
NYR	22	Igor Shesterkin	G	24	6-1/190	Hartford (AHL)	`14(118th)
Dal	23	Thomas Harley	D	19	6-3/190	Mississauga (OHL)	`19(18th)
Ari	24	Barrett Hayton	C	20	6-1/190	Arizona (NHL)	`18(5th)
NYR	25	Nils Lundkvist	D	20	5-11/180	Lulea (Swe)	`18(28th)
LA	26	Arthur Kaliyev	RW	19	6-2/190	Hamilton (OHL)	`19(33rd)
Cgy	27	Juuso Valimaki	D	21	6-2/205	DNP - Injured	`17(16th)
Det	28	Jared McIsaac	D	20	6-1/195	Hal-Mon (QMJHL)	`18(36th)
NYR	29	Vitali Kravtsov	RW	20	6-3/185	Hartford (AHL)	`18(9th)
Edm	30	Evan Bouchard	D	20	6-2/195	Bakersfield (AHL)	`18(10th)
NYR	31	K'Andre Miller	D	20	6-3/205	Wisconsin (B1G)	`18(22nd)
Edm	32	Raphael Lavoie	RW	19	6-4/195	Hal-Chi (QMJHL)	`19(38th)
NYI	33	Ilya Sorokin	G	25	6-2/180	CSKA (KHL)	`14(78th)
Det	34	Albert Johansson	D	19	5-11/165	Farjestads (Swe)	`19(60th)
Ari	35	Matias Maccelli	LW	19	5-11/170	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	`19(98th)
Van	36	Nils Hoglander	RW	19	5-9/185	Rogle (Swe)	`19(40th)
Ari	37	Jan Jenik	RW	20	6-1/180	Hamilton (OHL)	`18(65th)
Phi	38	Cam York	D	19	5-11/175	Michigan (B1G)	`19(14th)
Phi	39	Morgan Frost	C	21	5-11/180	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	`17(27th)
Ana	40	Lukas Dostal	G	20	6-1/170	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	`18(85th)
LA	41	Tobias Bjornfot	D	19	6-0/200	Ontario (AHL)	`19(22nd)
SJ	42	Ryan Merkley	D	20	5-11/170	London (OHL)	`18(21st)
NYI	43	Kieffer Bellows	LW	22	6-0/200	Bridgeport (AHL)	`16(19th)
NYI	44	Oliver Wahlstrom	RW	20	6-1/205	Bridgeport (AHL)	`18(11th)
LA	45	Rasmus Kupari	C	20	6-1/185	Ontario (AHL)	`18(20th)
CBJ	46	Liam Foudy	C	20	6-0/175	London (OHL)	`18(18th)
LA	47	Tyler Madden	C	20	5-10/155	Northeastern (HE)	T(Van-2/20)
Mtl	48	Alexander Romanov	D	20	5-11/185	CSKA (KHL)	`18(38th)
NYI	49	Bode Wilde	D	20	6-2/195	Bridgeport (AHL)	`18(41st)
Ott	50	Jacob Bernard-Docker	D	20	6-0/180	North Dakota (NCHC)	`18(26th)
Cgy	51	Jakob Pelletier	LW	19	5-9/165	Moncton (QMJHL)	`19(26th)
LA	52	Akil Thomas	C	20	5-11/170	Nia-Pbo (OHL)	`18(51st)
Wpg	53	Dylan Samberg	D	21	6-3/190	Minn-Duluth (NCHC)	`17(43rd)
Chi	54	Ian Mitchell	D	21	5-11/175	Denver (NCHC)	`17(57th)
Ott	55	Josh Norris	C	21	6-1/195	Belleville (AHL)	T(SJ-9/18)
NYR	56	Matthew Robertson	D	19	6-3/200	Edmonton (WHL)	`19(49th)
VGK	57	Pavel Dorofeyev	LW	19	6-1/170	Magnitogorsk (KHL)	`19(79th)
Dal	58	Jake Oettinger	G	21	6-4/210	Texas (AHL)	`17(26th)
Ott	59	Drake Batherson	RW	22	6-1/190	Belleville (AHL)	`17(121st)
LA	60	Samuel Fagemo	RW	20	6-0/195	Frolunda (Swe)	`19(50th)
Col	61	Justus Annunen	G	20	6-4/215	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	`18(64th)
Bos	62	John Beecher	C	19	6-3/210	Michigan (B1G)	`19(30th)
Phi	63	Egor Zamula	D	20	6-4/175	Calgary (WHL)	FA(9/18)
NYR	64	Zac Jones	D	19	5-10/175	Massachusetts (HE)	`19(68th)
CBJ	65	Kirill Marchenko	LW	20	6-3/190	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	`18(49th)
VGK	66	Jack Dugan	RW	22	6-2/185	Providence (HE)	`17(142nd)
StL	67	Scott Perunovich	D	22	5-10/175	Minn-Duluth (NCHC)	`18(45th)
Bos	68	Jack Studnicka	C	21	6-1/170	Providence (AHL)	`17(53rd)
Dal	69	Ty Dellandrea	C	20	6-0/185	Flint (OHL)	`18(13th)
Min	70	Calen Addison	D	20	5-10/180	Lethbridge (WHL)	T(Pit-2/20)
NYR	71	Julien Gauthier	RW	22	6-4/225	Charlotte (AHL)	T(Car-2/20)
Van	72	Olli Juolevi	D	22	6-3/200	Utica (AHL)	`16(5th)
NJ	73	Nolan Foote	LW	19	6-3/190	Kelowna (WHL)	T(TB-2/20)
NJ	74	Janne Kuokkanen	LW	22	6-1/190	Cha-Bng (AHL)	T(Car-2/20)
Ott	75	Alex Formenton	LW	21	6-2/165	Belleville (AHL)	`17(47th)
Det	76	Robert Mastrosimone	LW	19	5-10/160	Boston University (HE)	`19(54th)
NYR	77	Morgan Barron	C	21	6-2/200	Cornell (ECAC)	`17(174th)
Mtl	78	Jesse Ylonen	RW	20	6-1/185	Pelicans (Fin)	`18(35th)
Car	79	Dominik Bokk	RW	20	6-1/180	Rogle (Swe)	T(StL-9/19)
Nsh	80	Egor Afanasyev	RW	19	6-3/205	Windsor (OHL)	`19(45th)
Ana	81	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	C	20	6-1/195	Hal-Mon (QMJHL)	`18(54th)
Min	82	Alexander Khovanov	C	20	5-11/195	Moncton (QMJHL)	`18(86th)
Det	83	Joe Veleno	C	20	6-1/195	Grand Rapids (AHL)	`18(30th)
NJ	84	Kevin Bahl	D	20	6-6/230	Ottawa (OHL)	T(Ari-12/19)
Car	85	Ryan Suzuki	C	19	6-0/180	Bar-Sag (OHL)	`19(28th)
Van	86	Jett Woo	D	20	6-0/205	Calgary (WHL)	`18(37th)
Mtl	87	Mattias Norlinder	D	20	5-11/180	MODO (Swe 2)	`19(64th)
Min	88	Adam Beckman	LW	19	6-1/170	Spokane (WHL)	`19(75th)
Bos	89	Jeremy Swayman	G	21	6-1/190	Maine (HE)	`17(111th)
Wpg	90	Kristian Vesalainen	LW	21	6-3/205	Manitoba (AHL)	`17(24th)
Tor	91	Filip Hallander	LW	20	6-1/185	Lulea (Swe)	T(Pit-8/20)
Fla	92	Owen Tippett	RW	21	6-1/200	Springfield (AHL)	`17(10th)
Car	93	Jake Bean	D	22	6-1/175	Charlotte (AHL)	`16(13th)
Ott	94	Shane Pinto	C	19	6-2/190	North Dakota (NCHC)	`19(32nd)
Col	95	Martin Kaut	RW	20	6-1/175	Colorado (AHL)	`18(16th)
Van	96	Jack Rathbone	D	21	5-10/175	Harvard (ECAC)	`17(95th)
Tor	97	Nick Abruzzese	C	21	5-9/160	Harvard (ECAC)	`19(124th)
Bos	98	Urho Vaakanainen	D	21	6-0/185	Providence (AHL)	`17(18th)
Wsh	99	Alexander Alexeyev	D	20	6-3/200	Hershey (AHL)	`18(31st)
NYI	100	Simon Holmstrom	RW	19	6-1/185	Bridgeport (AHL)	`19(23rd)
LA	101	Jaret Anderson-Dolan	C	21	5-11/190	Ontario (AHL)	`17(41st)
Car	102	Joey Keane	D	21	6-0/185	Hfd-Cha (AHL)	T(NYR-2/20)
Wsh	103	Martin Fehervary	D	20	6-1/190	Hershey (AHL)	`18(46th)
StL	104	Tyler Tucker	D	20	6-1/205	Bar-Fnt (OHL)	`18(200th)
SJ	105	Yegor Spiridonov	C	19	6-2/195	Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL)	`19(108th)
NJ	106	Joey Anderson	RW	22	6-0/195	Binghamton (AHL)	`16(73rd)
Col	107	Conor Timmins	D	21	6-1/185	Colorado (AHL)	`17(32nd)
StL	108	Klim Kostin	C	21	6-3/195	San Antonio (AHL)	`17(31st)
Mtl	109	Cayden Primeau	G	21	6-3/180	Laval (AHL)	`17(199th)
SJ	110	Jonathan Dahlen	LW	22	5-11/185	Timra IK (Swe 2)	T(Van-2/19)
NJ	111	Reilly Walsh	D	21	5-11/180	Harvard (ECAC)	`17(81st)
Buf	112	Oskari Laaksonen	D	21	6-2/165	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	`17(89th)
NJ	113	Arseni Gritsyuk	RW	19	5-10/170	Omskie Yastreby (MHL)	`19(129th)
Wsh	114	Aliaksei Protas	C	19	6-5/205	Prince Albert (WHL)	`19(91st)
Cgy	115	Dustin Wolf	G	19	6-0/165	Everett (WHL)	`19(214th)
StL	116	Joel Hofer	G	20	6-3/160	Portland (WHL)	`18(107th)
VGK	117	Ivan Morozov	C	20	6-1/180	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	`18(61st)
Mtl	118	Jake Evans	C	24	6-0/185	Laval (AHL)	`14(207th)
Nsh	119	Eeli Tolvanen	RW	21	5-10/175	Milwaukee (AHL)	`17(30th)
Wpg	120	Ville Heinola	D	19	5-11/180	Lukko Rauma (Fin)	`19(20th)
VGK	121	Lucas Elvenes	RW	21	6-0/175	Chicago (AHL)	`17(127th)
TB	122	Cole Koepke	LW	22	6-1/195	Minn-Duluth (NCHC)	`18(183rd)
Ana	123	Isac Lundestrom	C	20	6-0/185	San Diego (AHL)	`18(23rd)
NYR	124	Tarmo Reunanen	D	22	6-0/180	Lukko Rauma (Fin)	`16(98th)
Mtl	125	Jordan Harris	D	20	5-11/180	Northeastern (HE)	`18(71st)
Ana	126	Brayden Tracey	LW	19	6-0/175	MJ-Vic (WHL)	`19(29th)
Phi	127	Tanner Laczynski	C	23	6-1/200	Ohio State (B1G)	`16(169th)
Chi	128	Alec Regula	D	20	6-3/200	London (OHL)	T(Det-10/19)
Buf	129	Mattias Samuelsson	D	20	6-3/215	Western Michigan (NCHC)	`18(32nd)
Car	130	Jamieson Rees	C	19	5-10/175	Sarnia (OHL)	`19(44th)
Edm	131	Olivier Rodrigue	G	20	6-1/165	Moncton (QMJHL)	`18(62nd)
Fla	132	Serron Noel	RW	20	6-5/205	Osh-Kit (OHL)	`18(34th)
Det	133	Antti Tuomisto	D	19	6-4/190	Assat Pori (Fin Jr)	`19(35th)
Dal	134	Jason Robertson	LW	21	6-2/195	Texas (AHL)	`17(39th)
Mtl	135	Joni Ikonen	C	21	5-10/170	DNP - Injured	`17(58th)
Nsh	136	Rem Pitlick	C	23	5-11/200	Milwaukee (AHL)	`16(76th)
Ott	137	Logan Brown	C	22	6-6/220	Belleville (AHL)	`16(11th)
TB	138	Samuel Walker	C	21	5-11/160	Minnesota (B1G)	`17(200th)
Phi	139	Wade Allison	RW	22	6-2/205	Western Michigan (NCHC)	`16(52nd)
Wpg	140	Declan Chisholm	D	20	6-1/190	Peterborough (OHL)	`18(150th)
NJ	141	Tyce Thompson	RW	21	6-1/180	Providence (HE)	`19(96th)
VGK	142	Connor Corcoran	D	20	6-1/185	Windsor (OHL)	`18(154th)
Ana	143	Jackson Lacombe	D	19	6-1/170	Minnesota (B1G)	`19(39th)
NYR	144	Lauri Pajuniemi	RW	21	6-0/185	TPS Turku (Fin)	`18(132nd)
Car	145	Tuukka Tieksola	RW	19	5-10/160	Karpat Oulu (Fin Jr)	`19(121st)
CBJ	146	Andrew Peeke	D	22	6-3/210	Cleveland (AHL)	`16(34th)
Ana	147	Axel Andersson	D	20	6-0/180	Moncton (QMJHL)	T(Bos-2/20)
Car	148	Patrik Puistola	LW	19	6-0/175	Tap-Juk-Koo (Fin)	`19(73rd)
NJ	149	Michael McLeod	C	22	6-2/195	Binghamton (AHL)	`16(12th)
Car	150	Pyotr Kochetkov	G	21	6-1/175	SKA-VIT (KHL)	`19(36th)
NJ	151	Michael Vukojevic	D	19	6-3/210	Kitchener (OHL)	`19(82nd)
NYI	152	Ruslan Iskhakov	C	20	5-8/155	UConn (HE)	`18(43rd)
Wpg	153	Sami Niku	D	23	6-0/175	Manitoba (AHL)	`15(198th)
TB	154	Hugo Alnefelt	G	19	6-3/195	HV 71 (Swe)	`19(71st)
NJ	155	Nikita Okhotyuk	D	19	6-1/195	Ottawa (OHL)	`19(61st)
NYR	156	Hunter Skinner	D	19	6-2/175	London (OHL)	`19(112th)
LA	157	Mikey Anderson	D	21	6-0/195	Ontario (AHL)	`17(103rd)
Col	158	Shane Bowers	C	21	6-2/190	Colorado (AHL)	T(Ott-11/17)
NYI	159	Joshua Ho-Sang	RW	24	6-0/175	Bri-SA (AHL)	`14(28th)
LA	160	Cal Petersen	G	25	6-3/190	Ontario (AHL)	FA(7/17)
Col	161	Sampo Ranta	LW	20	6-2/205	Minnesota (B1G)	`18(78th)
Wpg	162	Mikhail Berdin	G	22	6-2/165	Manitoba (AHL)	`16(157th)
Bos	163	Jeremy Lauzon	D	23	6-3/205	Providence (AHL)	`15(52nd)
Nsh	164	David Farrance	D	21	5-11/190	Boston University (HE)	`17(92nd)
Van	165	Will Lockwood	RW	22	5-11/175	Michigan (B1G)	`16(64th)
NYI	166	Sebastian Aho	D	24	5-10/175	Bridgeport (AHL)	`17(139th)
Wpg	167	Logan Stanley	D	22	6-7/225	Manitoba (AHL)	`16(18th)
Buf	168	Ryan Johnson	D	19	6-0/175	Minnesota (B1G)	`19(31st)
Van	169	Michael DiPietro	G	21	6-0/195	Utica (AHL)	`17(64th)
VGK	170	Kaedan Korczak	D	19	6-3/190	Kelowna (WHL)	`19(41st)
Car	171	Jack Drury	C	20	5-11/180	Harvard (ECAC)	`18(42nd)
StL	172	Nikita Alexandrov	C	19	6-0/180	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	`19(62nd)
Col	173	Nikolai Kovalenko	RW	20	5-10/175	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	`18(171st)
Nsh	174	Juuso Parssinen	C	19	6-2/205	TPS Turku (Fin)	`19(210th)
Chi	175	Pius Suter	C	24	5-11/170	ZSC Lions (NLA)	FA(7/20)
Fla	176	Aleksi Saarela	RW	23	5-11/200	Rfd-Spr (AHL)	T(Chi-10/19)
Bos	177	Trent Frederic	C	22	6-4/215	Providence (AHL)	`16(29th)
CBJ	178	Dmitri Voronkov	LW	20	6-4/190	Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)	`19(114th)
Ott	179	Lassi Thomson	D	19	6-0/190	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	`19(19th)
Car	180	Morgan Geekie	C	22	6-2/180	Charlotte (AHL)	`17(67th)
CBJ	181	Trey Fix-Wolansky	RW	21	5-8/185	Cleveland (AHL)	`18(204th)
Ott	182	Vitaly Abramov	RW	22	5-9/175	Belleville (AHL)	T(CBJ-2/19)
TB	183	Alexander Volkov	LW	23	6-1/190	Syracuse (AHL)	`17(48th)
Tor	184	Mikko Kokkonen	D	19	5-11/200	Jukurit (Fin)	`19(84th)
Ott	185	Kevin Mandolese	G	20	6-4/180	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	`18(157th)
CBJ	186	Daniil Tarasov	G	21	6-5/185	Assat Pori (Fin)	`17(86th)
LA	187	Carl Grundstrom	LW	22	6-0/195	Ontario (AHL)	T(Tor-1/19)
LA	188	Kale Clague	D	22	6-0/180	Ontario (AHL)	`16(51st)
Ott	189	Artyom Zub	D	24	6-2/200	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	FA(5/20)
Edm	190	Tyler Benson	LW	22	6-0/200	Bakersfield (AHL)	`16(32nd)
Det	191	Jonatan Berggren	RW	20	5-10/185	Skelleftea AIK (Swe)	`18(33rd)
Tor	192	Yegor Korshkov	RW	24	6-4/215	Toronto (AHL)	`16(31st)
Dal	193	Riley Damiani	C	20	5-9/165	Kitchener (OHL)	`18(137th)
VGK	194	Zach Whitecloud	D	23	6-2/210	Chicago (AHL)	FA(3/18)
Buf	195	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	G	21	6-4/195	Cincinnati (ECHL)	`17(54th)
Car	196	David Cotton	LW	23	6-3/205	Boston College (HE)	`15(169th)
Chi	197	Wyatt Kalynuk	D	23	6-1/180	Wisconsin (B1G)	FA(7/20)
Min	198	Hunter Jones	G	19	6-4/195	Peterborough (OHL)	`19(59th)
LA	199	Jordan Spence	D	19	5-10/165	Moncton (QMJHL)	`19(95th)
Cgy	200	Dmitri Zavgorodny	LW	20	5-9/175	Rimouski (QMJHL)	`18(198th)
Col	201	Alex Beaucage	RW	19	6-1/195	Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)	`19(78th)
TB	202	Dmitri Semykin	D	20	6-3/200	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)	`18(90th)
CBJ	203	Matiss Kivlenieks	G	24	6-2/190	Cleveland (AHL)	FA(5/17)
StL	204	Ville Husso	G	25	6-3/205	San Antonio (AHL)	`14(94th)
Phi	205	Bobby Brink	RW	19	5-10/165	Denver (NCHC)	`19(34th)
NYI	206	Otto Koivula	C	22	6-4/220	Bridgeport (AHL)	`16(120th)
Car	207	Eetu Makiniemi	G	21	6-2/180	KOOVEE (Fin 2)	`17(104th)
NYI	208	Anatoli Golyshev	RW	25	5-8/180	Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (KHL)	`16(95th)
Chi	209	Evan Barratt	C	21	6-0/190	Penn State (B1G)	`17(90th)
Buf	210	Erik Portillo	G	20	6-6/210	Dubuque (USHL)	`19(67th)
Fla	211	Cole Schwindt	RW	19	6-2/185	Mississauga (OHL)	`19(81st)
Chi	212	Michal Teply	LW	19	6-3/185	Winnipeg (WHL)	`19(105th)
Ott	213	Mads Sogaard	G	19	6-7/195	Medicine Hat (WHL)	`19(37th)
Buf	214	Jonas Johansson	G	24	6-4/205	Rochester (AHL)	`14(61st)
TB	215	Cal Foote	D	21	6-4/215	Syracuse (AHL)	`17(14th)
StL	216	Niko Mikkola	D	24	6-5/200	San Antonio (AHL)	`15(127th)
NYI	217	Robin Salo	D	21	6-1/190	SaiPa (Fin)	`17(46th)
Bos	218	Jakub Zboril	D	23	6-1/200	Providence (AHL)	`15(13th)
Buf	219	Will Borgen	D	23	6-2/200	Rochester (AHL)	`15(92nd)
Pit	220	Pierre-Olivier Joseph	D	21	6-2/170	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	`17(23rd)
SJ	221	Sasha Chmelevski	C	21	5-11/190	San Jose (AHL)	`17(185th)
Ari	222	Kyle Capobianco	D	23	6-1/180	Tucson (AHL)	`15(63rd)
Det	223	Keith Petruzzelli	G	21	6-5/180	Quinnipiac (ECAC)	`17(88th)
Wsh	224	Garrett Pilon	RW	22	5-11/190	Hershey (AHL)	`16(87th)
NJ	225	Nikola Pasic	RW	19	5-10/185	Karlskoga (Swe 2)	`19(189th)
TB	226	Alex Barre-Boulet	C	23	5-10/165	Syracuse (AHL)	FA(3/18)
Edm	227	Ryan McLeod	C	20	6-2/205	Bakersfield (AHL)	`18(40th)
NYI	228	Samuel Bolduc	D	19	6-3/210	BLB-She (QMJHL)	`19(57th)
Ott	229	Joey Daccord	G	24	6-2/195	Belleville (AHL)	`15(199th)
StL	230	Hugh McGing	C	22	5-9/180	Western Michigan (NCHC)	`18(138th)
Edm	231	Cooper Marody	C	23	6-0/180	Bakersfield (AHL)	T(Phi-3/18)
Tor	232	Jeremy Bracco	RW	23	5-9/180	Toronto (AHL)	`15(61st)
Phi	233	German Rubtsov	C	22	6-2/190	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	`16(22nd)
Wsh	234	Brian Pinho	C	25	6-1/195	Hershey (AHL)	`13(174th)
Col	235	Logan O'Connor	RW	24	6-0/170	Colorado (AHL)	FA(7/18)
Buf	236	Casey Fitzgerald	D	23	5-11/190	Rochester (AHL)	`16(86th)
NJ	237	Daniil Misyul	D	19	6-3/180	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	`19(70th)
Ari	238	John Farinacci	C	19	5-11/185	Harvard (ECAC)	`19(76th)
Edm	239	Aapeli Rasanen	C	22	6-0/195	Boston College (HE)	`16(153rd)
Pit	240	Anthony Angello	RW	24	6-5/205	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	`14(145th)
Mtl	241	Cam Hillis	C	20	5-10/170	Guelph (OHL)	`18(66th)
Cgy	242	Mathias Emilio Pettersen	RW	20	5-9/170	Denver (NCHC)	`18(167th)
SJ	243	Alexander True	C	23	6-5/205	San Jose (AHL)	FA(7/18)
NYI	244	Reece Newkirk	C	19	5-11/175	Portland (WHL)	`19(147th)
Dal	245	Dawson Barteaux	D	20	6-0/180	RD-Wpg (WHL)	`18(168th)
Bos	246	Jack Ahcan	D	23	5-8/185	St. Cloud State (NCHC)	FA(3/20)
Det	247	Seth Barton	D	21	6-2/175	Mass-Lowell (HE)	`18(81st)
Fla	248	Max Gildon	D	21	6-3/190	New Hampshire (HE)	`17(66th)
Ari	249	Aku Raty	RW	19	6-0/175	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	`19(151st)
Wpg	250	David Gustafsson	C	20	6-1/195	Winnipeg (NHL)	`18(60th)

AHL Pacific Division Report, October – Developing prospects

Tom Dorsa — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 13:10:03 +0000

October is a month of formation for minor league hockey teams. In the first month of a long regular season, you start to see the players -- most often a mix of wily veterans and first- or second-year pros -- align and adapt to one another’s unique playing styles.

For some clubs, players, and coaches, that transition can be seamless, but for some it’s a disastrous early-season experiment. Such is the beauty of the American Hockey League, wherein young prospects are given chances to succeed not only in spite of, but because of, their early-season mistakes.

As mentioned above, development is a work in progress. Some young players can adjust with relative ease, while the unlucky struggle to acclimatize themselves to the speed, skill, and physicality of the hockey world’s second-best professional sanctioning body.

Today, we’ll be taking a look at the teams and notable prospects in the AHL’s Pacific Division. The teams on the West Coast, desert, and Rocky Mountains have all made strides and adjustments in the early portion of the campaign, and this article will take you through some of the news and notes from each of the Pacific Division’s seven member teams.

Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)

Record: 7-1-1-1, 16 points, .800 points percentage

The Heat are absolutely on fire (pun intended) to start the 2019-20 AHL campaign. Exploding offensively, the youthful club has scored the most goals in the Western Conference (39) thus far and had four players averaging a point per game.

The job Cail MacLean has done with a team missing the two-way contributions of top-ranked prospect Jusso Valimaki cannot be overstated. Since moving from Glen Falls, New York to Stockton as part of the AHL’s California expansion four years ago, the Heat have never won a playoff series.

Their chances to do so look better than ever before in this season’s early parts. Unfortunately for the fans in San Joaquin county, looming concerns over an arena lease have clouded the much-deserved celebration of the club’s early success.

Calgary Flames Dillon Dube

Dillon Dube, 3rd in McKeen’s Yearbook preseason rankings of Flames farm system (7GP-1G-6A-7P): Though it was a disappointment for the 21-year-old to not crack the Flames’ opening night roster after a decent NHL showing last season, he was arguably the Heat’s best player in October. A playmaker and forechecker extraordinaire heading into the season, he is starting to display heightened awareness and patience on offense as well as an increased defensive presence and responsibility. With exceptional penalty kill work, the former Team Canada World Junior captain is one of the first guys going up to Calgary if needed and can easily find a way to contribute to the big-league team.

Eetu Tuulola, 14th (8-4-1-5): Skating was the biggest concern surrounding the first-year winger from Finland, and while his acceleration and balance can still lag at times, his straight-line speed looks solid. Adding some quickness to his massive 6-3”, 220lbs frame makes the 21-year-old Tuulola a scary player, as his body control, shooting ability, and versatile usefulness on the power play have already impressed scouts around the game.

Glenn Gawdin, 18th (8-2-6-8): Gawdin, a second-year pro, has long had an incredible offensive game, but like Tuulola, his skating had held him back from becoming a go-to option for offense in the pro ranks. His acceleration looks a little better, and he has displayed more energy out on the ice than in his 2018-19 rookie season. His point-per-game pace to this point is a direct reflection of that assertiveness, but I still see Gawdin as more of a two-way bottom-six center with some offensive potential. His smarts and discipline have always been his biggest draw to me, and his skating is too big of a concern for him to pan out as a top-six offensive option.

Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes)

Record:8-3-0-0, 16 points, .727% points percentage

After injuries decimated their young club late into the 2018-19 season, the Roadrunners appear to be reaching the potential they missed out on due to ailments last campaign. Head coach Jay Varady’s club was briefly in first place in the Pacific Division in October.

While the club has been top heavy in terms of point-scoring, they have been carried mightily by a pair of young netminders, Adin Hill and Ivan Provsetov, who have combined to allow just 25 goals, the fewest in the AHL’s Western Conference.

After missing the playoffs last year, we expected the team to come back with a vengeance and contend for the top spot in the seven-team division, which they won in 2017-18. Their first 11 games, a solid 16 percent of their season schedule, confirms those beliefs.

Lane Pederson, Unranked in McKeen’s Yearbook preseason rankings of Coyotes farm system (11-9-5-14): Although the former WHLer is not the most intriguing prospect in the game, or the most well-known, Pederson has inarguably been the best skater on the Roadrunners roster this season. Third in the league in both goals and points, his offensive contributions are no coincidence if you remember his efforts in Coyotes training camp, through which he almost broke the NHL roster. His skating has improved from his WHL days, and while his passing game/vision are still to be developed, his shot is a force. He is reliable defensively and kills penalties for Tucson. He went undrafted, but if there was a second or third-round pick attached to his name, hype would be building fast for the potential middle-six center.

Ivan Prosvetov, 6th (3-1-0-0, 1.98 GAA, .944 Sv% in four starts): We knew that Prosvetov was a beast in the goal and would eventually turn into a high-end pro, but it’s somewhat surprising to see how quickly he has transformed into a mature, disciplined netminder. He was a hot head in the OHL, once receiving a five-game suspension for batting a puck into spectators during a stoppage of play. It looks like he has harnessed that competitive fire, boosting his package of 6-5” length and athletic ability with an energized demeanor on the ice. At 20 years old, younger than the large majority of AHL netminders, he is a step ahead of the competition.

Kyle Capobianco, 4th (3-0-2-2): Capobianco looks like, and is to a degree, an NHL player. He made the Coyotes’ opening night roster and has appeared in nine big-league contests so far, after his 2018-19 campaign came to a disastrous end due to a season-ending leg injury in February. So this prospect blurb acts like more of a check-up on a prospect than an actual scouting piece, in this case: he’s fine. He does not look a step slow due to his injury, his playmaking and skating are still capable of contributing in all three zones, and his potential as a power-play quarterback is still there. He will be a full-time NHLer in short order.

Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)

Record: 6-2-2-0, 14 points, .700% points percentage

Last season, Ontario finished seventh out of seven Pacific Division teams, had a .441 points percentage, and recorded a -61 goal differential. Their struggles were a direct reflection of a Kings farm system that had become depleted due to their NHL parent club’s sustained success and desire for more.

The Kings of that era valued size and defensive strength over anything else, and now, as the game of hockey has progressed, so has the L.A. system. The revamped Reign roster is beginning to see the effects of the newly-implemented Rob Blake system, and have used that speed and skill to ascend back to the top of the division table.

Of course, a healthy chunk of the credit for the Reign’s turnaround has to go to head coach Mike Stothers, as well as many of their young players. If October is any indicator, the Reign could be playing postseason hockey again this season.

Los Angeles Kings Goalie Cal Petersen e)

Cal Petersen, 11th in McKeen’s Yearbook preseason rankings of Kings farm system (6-2-2-0, 2.55 GAA, .929 Sv% in ten starts): Since his pro debut in 2017-18, Petersen has been one of the AHL’s top goaltenders. Last season was grim, as his GAA floated over four due mostly to a horrid club in front of him, but he looks to have bounced back big time. The 25-year-old plays a wild, entertaining style of highly-athletic goaltending, and rarely cracks mentally. His hulking physical size and ability to read plays as they develop helps him compensate for a lack of decisive tool-selection and overall refinement. His contract goes from a two-way deal this year to one-way the next year and beyond, meaning he is essentially auditioning for an NHL job this season.

Carl Grundstrom, 8th (4-5-2-7): Along with a 2019 first round pick (used on Tobias Bjornfot), Grundstrom was the return from Toronto in the Jake Muzzin trade, and the young forward has added some instant value to the Kings system. In dominating the AHL in the early parts of the season, he has earned some appearances with L.A. and can only get better from here. He is a hard-working player who competes in all three zones, never slows down out there, and can flash a surprising goal-scoring touch. A hard forechecker to escape, that effort translates to the other end of the ice, where he has become an impactful penalty killer. He can be prone to mistakes, but Grundstrom’s relentless motor and two-way reliability give him a solid ceiling of a middle-six winger with some offensive upside that has not even been tapped into.

Matt Luff, 20th (9-3-4-7): The undrafted 22-year-old was one of Ontario’s best players (and a bright spot in his short Kings stint) last season, and he looks to have carried that promise and excellence into 2019-20. One thing that helps accumulate NHL-worthy stats is just how much the winger loves to shoot, leading the club with 34 shots through nine AHL games so far, in addition to being third on the team in shots (153) despite just 33 games with the AHL team has year. Luff has good reason to be a volume shooter, with a heavy, spinning wrist shot that has menacing velocity and tremendous accuracy, but his toughness and puck skills are also elements to watch out of the depth forward.

Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)

Record: 5-5-1-0, 11 points, .500% points percentage

While Edmonton’s two superstar talents, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisiatl, have ripped the NHL to shreds in the early going of the 2019-20 season, some of the club’s top prospects are continuing the trend in the AHL.

Oilers’ CEO Bob Nicholson’s laid-out plan of allowing prospects to “over-ripen” seems to be the organization’s modus operandi, and the Condors are reaping the benefits of having more experienced, longer-tenured players on the roster this season.

For head coach Jay Woodcroft, it’s mostly the same players that dominated during their historic 2018-19 run that have been at the forefront of their 2019-20 operations. You can’t bank on Bakersfield having the same 17-game winning streak as the division champs did last season, but they will compete to bring playoff hockey to Kern County, California for the second time after relocating from Oklahoma City in 2015.

Tyler Benson, 4th in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Oilers farm system (11-2-7-9): His maturity, hockey IQ, and vision make it easy to forget, but Benson is only 21 years old and has just one full pro season under his belt. After pacing the Condors in points last season, his heads-up rushing action and high-end playmaking skills have put him out front early this year. A speedy skater with beautiful acceleration and swift pivots, his ability to draw space to himself and pass the puck off is reminiscent of the NHL’s preeminent puck-movers. His only flaw is his shot, which lacks speed and accuracy. His early-career development was plagued by injuries, but with full health, he looks downright scary good and could soon be a top-six facilitator for the Oilers.

Kailer Yamamoto, 6th (11-4-3-7): Sent down to Bakersfield as part of a rehab schedule for his wrist injury from last season, Yamamato has had a pretty decent start to his AHL season. The former first-round pick has been so-so on offense, and you would like to see him use his slippery skating, speedy hands, and creativity to drive offense more. But his penalty kill and overall defensive game have been exceptional, and it is impressive to see the way he has rounded out his game. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the 21-year-old get a recall to Edmonton soon, especially as the Oilers’ bottom six is starved for skill.

Evan Bouchard, 2nd (11-3-4-7): The reigning Max Kaminsky trophy winner as the Ontario Hockey League’s best blueliner, Bouchard has been playing up to that billing since joining the AHL ranks at the start of the season. With his creativity, vision, and booming shot, the 10th overall pick in 2018 has excelled with Bakersfield thus far. Two of the defenseman’s three goals have come on the man-advantage, which speaks to his effectiveness on the power play. His skating is not as big of an issue as it was in his draft season, but can still improve.

San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)

Record:4-4-0-1, 9 points, .500% points percentage

San Jose has so few certified “veteran” players on the roster that it is genuinely impressive that they have posted a .500 record so far this season. Kudos to Roy Sommer, the club’s head coach, but also, the team’s European scouting group for plucking legitimate talent from some obscure areas.

Swedish winger Joel Kellman, German forward Lean Bergmann, and Danish forwards Alexander True and Joachim Blichfeld are the club’s top-four scorers through nine games. All four of the Barracuda stars were either undrafted signees or seventh-round draft selections.

Their top goaltender, Josef Korenar, was also an undrafted signee who has emerged as one of the AHL’s top goalies at just 21. Hopefully the team can be carried by these otherwise-unheard of players to the club’s fifth consecutive postseason appearance since relocating from Worcester, Massachusetts.

Sasha Chmelevski, 2nd in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Sharks farm system (6-0-1-1): Both things can be true: Chmelevski has had a hard time adjusting to the pro ranks, and he has been battling injuries since the beginning of the season, having missed the last few Barracuda games with a lower-body ailment. So, you have to take his early-season results with a grain of salt. He has flashed some of that quick, precise passing and smart decision making early on in his pro career, especially on the San Jose power play, where he is playing first-unit minutes. His injuries have hampered his skating some, and you would like to see him use his heavy, accurate wrist shot more. He almost made the Sharks roster out of training camp, which means there is something special about the 21-year-old, but we just have to wait and see a fully healthy version of him.

Joachim Blichfeld, 7th (8-3-3-6): Whereas Chmelevski has had a troublesome professional hockey adjustment process, Blichfeld has been excellent since puck drop on opening night. While his offensive numbers don’t equal that of his godly WHL totals a year ago (68-53-61-114), he has been exceptional at what he does best; drive play with speed and creativity, fire the puck at will, and get into dirty areas without the puck. He has been a pest in front of the goal and seeks out crease-front rebounds at every chance. A power-play staple, the right-hander has played a variety of roles on the man-advantage. However, the Danish winger can be prone to frequent turnovers, and needs to amp up his three-zone awareness to prevent getting the puck stick-checked away.

Josef Korenar, 10th (3-2-1-2, 1.82, .932): An AHL All-Star last season, the 21-year-old Czech has only stepped his game up from there. Most importantly, the former undrafted signee has provided the Sharks with one thing they arguably didn’t have: a denoted goaltender of the future. His tool selection can still be a little spotty, and he plays an inconsistent positional game (when to come out and challenge, when to guard posts, etc), but his raw package is that of a future NHL stud. Korenar displays otherworldly smarts, vision, and anticipation while playing a calm and composed style in the crease. He is highly athletic and can scramble to make saves, and his rebound control has improved since last season.

Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche)

Record: 4-5-0-0, 8 points, .444% points percentage

Whereas some teams have benefited from an influx of their organization’s brightest young stars, the Eagles have stagnated with a bunch of veteran guys with low ceilings. I don’t believe their slow start to the season is a coincidence; they just don’t really have that pure, youthful skill to mesh with the aged, seasoned pros on the club.

It is not like Colorado has no high-end prospects on the roster, as the club sports names like Shane Bowers, Conor Timmins, or Martin Kaut, but moreso that these young players are having trouble finding a rhythm or just coming into their own as prospects.

Luckily, they are through just nine games of the Pacific Division’s 68-game schedule. Head coach Greg Cronin and the club have time on their side and a group of experienced players who know what it takes to make it through the tough and tiresome winter months. With that, the goal is to bring playoff hockey to Loveland, CO, in just their second year in the AHL.

Conor Timmins, 6th in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Avalanche farm system (7-1-2-3): We all knew Timmins could play, but how quickly he has jumped back into action and found a way to contribute after missing the entirety of the 2018-19 season is nothing short of amazing. The right-shot defenseman who made the Avs roster out of camp has not missed a beat, and has emerged as the versatile, three-zone defender he was picked as in the second-round of the 2017 draft. His physical strength makes him capable of outmuscling anyone in a puck battle, and his vision to get the puck out of the zone — via his solid outlet pass or his skating — makes him a threat joining the rush. He has the potential to be a top-four minute-munching defender at the highest level of the game.

Nick Henry, 11th (9-1-2-3): An assist machine in his final year with WHL Lethbridge, Henry’s main asset — playmaking and transitional play — has translated well in his first full professional season. Although he is not racking up points at an insane pace, the 20-year-old has been instrumental in driving play for the Eagles’ fourth line. His skating is not great, but good enough to get through the neutral zone, where his vision and high hockey IQ can take over a rush. He is solid defensively, with decent strength for an undersized winger, and his energy and tenacity on the forecheck has been noticeable. His main issue is his hesitance to shoot, mainly defaulting to passing; he will need to improve upon his shot assertiveness to succeed long-term in the pros.

Logan O’Connor, 12th (9-1-2-3): The former University of Denver captain continued his emergence as a top-notch prospect in the Avs system in October. Boosted onto the top line for the Eagles (mostly playing with veterans T.J. Tynan and Erik Condra), O’Connor’s well-rounded, mature game has provided plus value for Colorado thus far. He has the acceleration and top speed of an NHL top-six winger, along with the hockey IQ and smarts to make an impact in all three zones. He can play any role, at any forward position, against any competition, and that kind of versatility is what makes him a surefire future NHLer.

San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks)

Record: 2-6-0-0, 4 points, .250% points percentage

The diagnosis for their slow start is a simple one: the Gulls have suffered from a transitioning, transformative roster in Anaheim depleting the AHL club, which made the Western Conference Finals last season.

Head coach Kevin Dineen has his work cut out for him with a roster that has lost his stars from last campaign, such as former first-round picks Sam Steel and Max Jones as well as Team U.S.A. World Junior hero Troy Terry, all of whom are on the Ducks’ active roster.

There still shine some bright lights amid a dark and frightening tunnel however, as a Ducks farm system with a decent amount of talent steps on the ice in San Diego.

Isac Lundestrom, 4th in the McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Ducks farm system (6-2-1-3): After starting the season eating healthy scratches with the Ducks, the 2018 first-rounder returned to the AHL and has fared well centering the Gulls’ third line, scoring his first career AHL goal just a few games ago. His ability as a puck carrier has received a well-deserved spotlight on the power play, and his versatility and maturity (it’s easy to forget that he is just 19-years-old) has received abundant penalty kill time thus far. The youthful Swede is such a multi-faceted player and thinks the game at such a high level that he will not need much more improving to do before being a solid, consistent NHL player. He just needs to improve upon his offensive assertiveness, most importantly how underused his wrist shot is.

Joshua Mahura, 9th (6-0-0-0): Mahura was recently recalled to the NHL roster (where he promptly recorded three assists in his season debut), and it was a well-deserved promotion. The scoresheet won’t prove it to you, but he had quietly been one of the Gulls’ better players in the young season. Playing on both special teams, the defender exhibited his high-end two-way versatility and desire to play up at most times. He is a highly dangerous option to start or join a rush at any opportunity, and that same mentality is paying off in the NHL, with his 3.9 CF% Rel. It’s early, and both the Ducks and Gulls are undergoing a lot of changes, but perhaps he has already played his last regular season AHL game.

AHL Western Conference 2019-20 Season Preview

Tom Dorsa — Thu, 17 Oct 2019 19:20:02 +0000

The new hockey season is finally upon us, and with it, comes the return of the American Hockey League, which serves as the primary development league of all 31 National Hockey League franchises.

As the AHL’s 31 teams prepare to clash over the long winter stretch, hoping to lift the Calder Cup in June, their NHL parent clubs are bulking up their farm team’s rosters with some of their best and brightest prospects.

With the NHL season up and running, the rosters for the AHL teams in each organization are coming to fruition. The solid mix of veterans with familiar faces alongside some exciting, exuberant youthful prospects of many teams are giving fans in the AHL’s member cities hope for the present and the future, while giving NHL fans faces to look for as potential replacements for the parent clubs, if and when the need arises.

Let’s take a team-by-team look at the competitors in the AHL’s Western Conference, beginning with last season’s conference champions.

(Team rundown is listed by 2018-19 point totals, and are not a projection of 2019-20 conference standings.)

Chicago Wolves (Vegas Golden Knights)

The Wolves, who paced the Western Conference with a 44-22-6-4 record in the regular season, lost their two leading scorers from last season over the summer. Daniel Carr, whose 71 points in 52 games led the AHL in points per game (1.37) last season, departed for the Nashville Predators system, while T.J. Tynan (led the league with 59 assists) joined the Colorado Avalanche organization.

Head coach Rocky Thompson might have trouble finding the same scoring, but will not have any issue on the blue line, with a defensive corps headlined by some top prospects like Nic Hague (4th in McKeen’s Vegas farm system rankings), Zach Whitecloud (6th), and Jake Bischoff (8th) all manning the defensive zone. Hague and Bischoff are presently up with Vegas, but both should spend significant time on the farm this year.

Chicago should maintain a spot near the summit of the Central Division standings, bolstered by all-world defense and solid goaltending.

Prospects to watch (quotes from the 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Nicolas Hague

“[T]he 2017 second-rounder has can’t-miss shutdown potential in a two-way package. His lanky, 6-6” frame makes him nearly unbeatable at the blueline, as his length and mobility give him a package that can compete with any AHL forward for space in the defensive zone.”

Lucas Elvenes

“[A] smooth skater with soft hands. He has skill, and his inconsistent scoring is a product of him being more of a perimeter player, as he likes to create from the outside and that play isn’t always there and his creativity isn’t enough in those instances.”

Dylan Coghlan

“[A]n impactful offensive-defenseman by virtue of his skating, his atomic bomb of a slapshot, and his vision and playmaking, which allow him to quarterback a power play unit. His ceiling is as a middle-pair puck-rusher, but we will have to see how he does with an increase in tougher minutes on a depleted AHL Chicago this season.”

Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)

The Condors made American Hockey League history last season with a stretch of 17 consecutive wins between January 12 and March 1. The win streak is tied for the second-longest in the 83-year history of the AHL, and allowed the Condors to soar (pun intended) to the Pacific Division regular season title.

Though they fell to the San Diego Gulls in the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs, Bakersfield enjoyed its most successful season since the Oilers moved its primary development affiliate from Oklahoma City to Kern County, California, scoring more goals (242) and allowing fewer (182) than ever before.

With a solid group of top prospects from a deep Edmonton farm system, the Condors can be expected to contend alongside their California rivals for another Pacific Division crown.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Tyler Benson

“A speedy and creative forward, the former second-rounder’s natural playmaking ability — driven by top-notch vision, decision-making, and very crisp and accurate passes — can carry play from both the left wing and from the center position.”

Kailer Yamamoto

“A highly creative, smooth-skating winger, the former first-rounder creates plays out of thin air and is intense on the puck at all times. The quick-handed forward possesses strong hockey sense and the ability to drive play and carry a line from his position with his speed and vision.”

Cameron Hebig

“The undersized center plays a solid 200-foot game, exhibits mature offensive anticipation, has lightning-fast hands, and possesses a pro-level wrist shot, albeit a criminally underused one.”

Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators)

After failing to make the playoffs in 2017-18, the Admirals returned to the postseason scene, losing to the Iowa Wild 3-2 in a five-game set. Riding a 14-game point streak through a hard Spring schedule, the Admirals made an improbable climb from seventh to second in the Central Division to end the season.

Milwaukee, celebrating their 50th season in the North American pro scene, look to rebound with an influx of solid Nashville prospects. Though AHL staples Adam Helewka and Dustin Siemens departed in the offseason, the introduction of prospects Rem Pitlick and Jeremy Davies (a New Jersey prospect traded in the P.K. Subban deal) will boost the offense.

Goaltender Troy Grosenick, one of the AHL’s best, will be back in the Admirals crease with a deeper team in front of him and head coach Karl Taylor.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Eeli Tolvanen

“His shot is mesmerizing, with speed, a wicked and deceptive release, and insane accuracy, while his skating has improved to compliment has lethal shooting. His excellent touch for the puck gives him an underrated playmaking game as well, as his hands can create space for himself and teammates while his elite stick skills enable him to dish passes over with ease.”

Rem Pitlick

“As solid as his shot is, Pitlick is also a clever playmaker, with good vision as he flies down the wing towards the net. While he will take risks to create offense, he is responsible in his own end, and has been a trusted penalty college for the University of Minnesota.”

Frederic Allard

“A former point-per-game blueliner in the QMJHL, his speed, shot, and offensive vision all grade out as average or better. He sees the ice and anticipates plays at a very mature level, and he has legitimate top-four potential if he can work on his defensive game, with his puck-moving and skating playing big roles in his projected big-league value.”

Iowa Wild (Minnesota Wild)

For the first time since the team formerly known as the Houston Aeros moved to Iowa, fans in Des Moines were treated to postseason hockey from an Iowa Wild team that won more games (37) and scored more goals (242) than in any past season.

The offense was paced by usual suspects like team captain Cal O’Reilly, but goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen carried the defensive efforts of the club with poise and consistency. First-year head coach Tim Army’s group knocked off Milwaukee in the first-round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Although the AHL club made few big-name acquisitions in the offseason, their returning players should keep them afloat in their search for a postseason spot in the Spring of 2020.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Nico Sturm

“He has great size and skates very well, with intriguing puck skills to boot. He is close to ready and has a third line ceiling.”

Kaapo Kahkonen

“His calm, composed mentality in the crease bodes well for his highly-athletic, technically-refined butterfly style, and his maturity as a young netminder was on display for all of last season in Des Moines. From a talent standpoint, he projects to be a midtier NHL starter in the near future.”

Louie Belpedio

“A right-handed, puck-moving defenseman is an untouchable prospective asset to any organization, but throw in some offensive upside and a veteran level of composure, and you have a surefire future NHLer. His smarts are top notch, and his speedy skating and vision make his mission of exiting the zone as fast as possible an easy one most times.”

Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings)

The Griffins are a team that benefits mightily from the Red Wings’ aggressive style of prospect development. A year after the debut of Filip Zadina -- the sixth overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft -- Grand Rapids will say hello to Joe Veleno and Moritz Sieder, two more first-round picks.

Add in Michael Rasmussen and Evgeny Svechnikov, you can argue that the Griffins have the most young, raw talent in the game, and head coach Ben Simon is prepared to put it all to use. Only three years removed from a Calder Cup championship (2016-17), the Griffins look primed for another run at the AHL equivalent of the Stanley Cup.

The Griffins fell victim to Chicago, the eventual conference champions, in the first round of last season’s playoffs.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Filip Zadina

“His intense skating speed, technical footwork skill, and elite shooting prowess [are] capable of changing the game on every shift. Furthermore, even if the numbers don’t pop, the fact that he did it all as a teenager is incredibly impressive.”

Moritz Sieder

“Big, mobile right-shot defenseman who oozes confidence and has great hockey sense. He has the quickness to join the rush and he does so in a timely manner. The German blueliner is very gifted offensively, possessing high-level passing skills and a strong shot selection.”

Evgeny Svechnikov

“He is a beast with the puck, able to get inside position on anyone and his control and balance are incredible for his size. He doesn’t shy from playing hard defensively. We will have to see if his injuries continue to hold him back when he returns this season, but if his health holds -- and his consistency improves -- he can be a middle-six scoring wing in the NHL.”

San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)

In their four years at SAP Center (after formerly playing in Worcester, MA), the Barracuda have never missed the playoffs. A beacon of consistency in the minor leagues in spite of an NHL club that is a perennial contender, there is no reason San Jose shouldn’t be hosting postseason games next Spring.

With the additions of Noah Gregor, Sasha Chmelevski, and Ivan Chekhovich -- along with a formidable returning core of players -- the Sharks boast a reinvigorated prospect pool ready to make things happen at the AHL level.

The Barracuda led the Pacific Division for much of the season before the Condors went on an incredible 17-game winning streak; San Jose finished second, four points behind Bakersfield. San Jose fell three games to one to San Diego in the first round of the playoffs.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Joachim Blichfeld

“[I]s a natural scorer with very good offensive instincts, has a great shot, and plays a pretty good all round game. He should be able to translate his game to a higher level of play. He will start as a bottom six forward, and could move up to a top six role if he settles in and produces even a portion of his WHL production.”

Sasha Chmelevski

“He is the type of forward who can excel in any situation and this versatility will make him an NHL player sooner rather than later. His best asset might be his shot release, which is lightning quick. But he is more than just a goal scorer, as he processes the game very well and is especially dangerous in transition with his ability to make quick decisions with the puck.”

Antti Suomela

“He still has the potential to be a top-six forward; a lethal skater and often deadly setup man, Suomela can contribute in many ways, even without the puck, as his anticipation for where the play is flowing is unreal. He still has the potential to be a top-six forward; a lethal skater and often deadly setup man, Suomela can contribute in many ways, even without the puck, as his anticipation for where the play is flowing is unreal.”

Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)

In their four years in Winnipeg, the Moose have played in the playoffs just once, missing the postseason last year with a very young and inexperienced team. With some of their younger players expected to make a leap this season, the Moose should be much improved.

Getting Sami Niku back to the AHL club is a major boost. Last season, Niku made the Jets roster but was a healthy scratch for the majority of the NHL campaign, and instead the mobile, smart defender will get some valuable reps instead of wasting away in the press box.

Youthful goalie Mikhail Berdin is anticipated as the club’s number-one goalie, and seems capable of the job after success in a somewhat-limited role last year. Head coach Pascal Vincent, the winner of the 2018 Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL’s most outstanding coach, is back behind the bench of the Jets’ affiliate.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Logan Stanley

“The physical beast is one of the tallest prospects (or player of any level) in hockey, and his high-end defensive game leans heavily on his near-incomparable length. With his long and impassable gaps, active stick, and ability to take any opposing forward off the puck, his defensive game is one that seems NHL ready at just 20 years old.”

Michael Spacek

“As one of the finest defensive players in the Winnipeg system, Spacek has a clear NHL future due solely to his hard work and intensity in all three zones, but he can be better than a defensive specialist. The Czech native’s high-end two-way game has translated well from the WHL to pro hockey, as his shot, passing skill, and of course, his maturity and responsibility as a defender has impressed in the Winnipeg system.”

Mikhail Berdin

“Extremely athletic and hard-nosed, Berdin plays a fundamentally refined game that minimizes high-danger chances. He also possesses the last-resort agility to shut down anything that he can’t immediately get to.”

Texas Stars (Dallas Stars)

A year removed from winning the Western Conference and coming just a game away from taking home the franchise’s second Calder Cup, the Stars missed the postseason last year amid injuries and recalls toward the end of the season.

In addition, Texas has bid farewell to their two longest tenured players this offseason. Travis Morin, the 2014 AHL Most Valuable Player, retired from pro hockey while Justin Dowling, the team’s captain last season, made the Dallas roster out of training camp and seems primed to stick in the NHL.

With that transition brings youth and excitement into head coach Derek Laxdal’s lineup, as 11 first-year pros will compete in their rookie season with the Stars, including goaltender Jake Oettinger and forward Riley Tufte, both former first-round picks.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Jason Robertson

“At his best, Robertson is a monster in possession who prolongs offensive zone time because of how well he protects the puck. He also possesses terrific instincts, a great release, and a high skill level with the puck that makes him a very complete offensive player.”

Jake Oettinger

“Not only is Oettinger one of the top prospects in the Dallas system, the 20-year-old is firmly among the elite goaltending prospects in the sport. He is a 6-5” behemoth in the crease, but with the mental composure of a veteran and the agility of an NHL starter, boasting one of the most impressive packages of netminding skill in the game today.”

Joel L’Esperance

“The 6-2” center plays a high-energy game in all three zones, forechecks hard, and has some solid technical skating skill for a big man. He has a splendid wrist shot and a hockey IQ that is as high as his experience from the college ranks would suggest.”

San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks)

After a somewhat surprising run to the Western Conference Finals that ended with a loss to Chicago, head coach Dallas Eakins was given a promotion to the Anaheim Ducks and now serves as the bench boss of the Gull’s NHL parent club.

What that means is, like with Texas, a lot of transition and a lot of unknown. Kevin Dineen was hired as the head coach in the offseason and now oversees a team with a lot of turnover from the year prior. Prospects like Hunter Drew and Andrew Morand will lead the club from the side of youth, while AHL scoring phenom Andrew Poturalski joins the fray after a Calder Cup championship with Charlotte.

The 2019-20 Ducks sure look like the 2018-19 Gulls, and San Diego will have to rediscover an identity to be in contention for a postseason spot as the winter turns to spring again.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Joshua Mahura

“A crisp, accurate, and heads-up passer, the 2016 third-rounder is a beast in transitional play, and is never afraid to start -- or join -- an offensive rush. Solid vision of up-ice development is aided by his tight gaps, which can force turnovers at the blue line and spark a chance the other way.”

Antoine Morand

“Knows where to be on the ice. He is a creator who distributes very well and can run an offense. He is a solid skater with great agility and strong edgework, but his size is a question mark going forward. Morand will have to bulk up to have extended success at the NHL level.”

Andrew Poturalski

“A decisive, speedy playmaker with quick hands and high-end vision, the 25-year-old possesses a ceiling of a depth scoring forward with potential to have a ton of success on the power play.”

Rockford IceHogs (Chicago Blackhawks)

The IceHogs failed to qualify for the postseason in a transformative 2018-19 campaign that saw their NHL parent club make many internal moves that trickled down to Rockford. Most notably, Jeremy Colliton getting a midseason promotion from AHL bench boss to NHL headman, leaving Derek King and crew without much time to implement their voices on the room.

Now, King will get a full season as head coach and an influx of well-regarded prospects at his disposal. Adam Boqvist and Nicolas Beaudin, two 2018 first-round picks, will man the blue line, while returning goaltenders Collin Delia and IIHF World Championships winner Kevin Lankinen can hold down the fort in the crease.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Aleksi Saarela

“Saarela is a hard-working, dynamic player who wins battles and moves so efficiently that his energy stays high throughout the entirety of each game. He is a great shooter and his accuracy is impressive which makes him a tough opponent to stop. He is an all-around fun and creative player to watch and with his hockey sense and skill, he has the potential to be a top six forward and lead a team despite his size.”

Adam Boqvist

“An elite offensive defender, Boqvist has the requisite tools to be a high scorer in the NHL. His skating stride is not only smooth, it is powerful, and it allows him to take risks by jumping up into the rush quite frequently. He also possesses fantastic scoring instincts for a defender, sliding down into the slot or using his agility to open up shooting lanes for himself at the blueline.”

Dylan Sikura

“From the standpoint of raw skating, he was one of the best in the AHL and in this very deep farm system. His playmaking has long been his calling card, and he loves to make space for teammates with his speed only to pass it off. He is a smaller center, but does not shy away from doing the dirty work on both ends of the rink.”

Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche)

After winning two straight Kelly Cups in their final two years of action in the ECHL, the Eagles wasted no time bringing Calder Cup playoff action to Loveland, Colorado in their first season of AHL play. Finishing fourth in the Pacific Division before losing to Bakersfield in round one, it was a terrific start for an AHL expansion team.

Eagles head coach Greg Cronin has arguably a deeper team in the dressing room this season, and the Eagles can be expected to not only reach the postseason again, but perhaps go even deeper. Losing top scorer Andrew Agozzino and starting goaltender Pavel Francouz is a pain, but the addition of veterans T.J. Tynan and Erik Condra, as well as prospect Calle Rosen and the health of Conor Timmins bring balance to the club.

Like the Avalanche above them, they’re a team that preaches chaos and excitement over anything else. They’re incredibly fun.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Martin Kaut

“Although his offensive game was stagnant, his defensive game -- where his value is most apparent -- needed no adjustment from Europe to the North American style. His incredible rink sense make him a pest on the puck, and his willingness to play deep in the defensive zone is an unteachable, immeasurable talent.”

Shane Bowers

“Bowers is the type of player that specializes in performing the little things, doing the grunt work while his linemates hog the glory. He can accelerate the cycle game, bringing the puck in from the perimeter and putting a scoring chance in motion. He plays with energy and can be used in all situations.”

Logan O’Connor

“He is a wonderful skater with the acceleration of a top-line scorer, and possesses the smarts and discipline to consistently make a major impact in all three zones. His versatility is his strongest weapon, as he can play all three forward spots -- up and down the lineup -- with surprising effectiveness.”

Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes)

Injuries bit the Roadrunners hard near the end of the 2018-19 season, and the team narrowly missed the playoffs directly because of it. In particular, the losses of defenseman Kyle Capobianco and forwards Michael Bunting and Nick Merkley all hit head coach Jay Varady hard, but the team is full of depth and excitement if their health cooperates.

This team won the Pacific Division title in 2018, with several of those players still suiting up in Tucson brick red and black. In their fourth year in Arizona, they should be expected to contend for the Pacific crown once again, so long as heavily-revered goaltending prospect Adin Hill can play up to his level.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Nick Merkley

“Agile and athletic, he has the edgework and plus acceleration to make up for his small, albeit stocky, stature. His creativity with the puck is fueled by his elite hands, and his shot is an ever-evolving weapon. It is difficult to tell what kind of player Merkley is going to be, but if he can finally stay healthy, the 22-year-old has the skill and potential to be a future top-six winger.”

Adin Hill

“At 6-6”, Hill’s size is the first thing that jumps out about the 2015 third-rounder, but his incredible technical refinement and immeasurable mental composure are major bright spots in the development of the Coyotes’ goaltender of the future. With both AHL Tucson and the NHL club, Hill displayed his excellent total package as a near-term big-leaguer.”

Tyler Steenbergen

“His 200-foot game, defensive responsibility, and effectiveness as a bottom-six, penalty-killing guy who can play all three forward spots reliably gives him something many players of his ilk have not: a surefire NHL ceiling.”

San Antonio Rampage (St. Louis Blues)

While no St. Louis Blues fan will trade their first and only Stanley Cup last season for a better prospect pool, the Blues are certainly lacking in terms of a competitive AHL team. Their 2018-19 season started about as poorly as their parent club’s, and the Rampage never got above a .500 winning percentage at any point of the season.

But a new year always brings promise and hope. Prospect winger Klim Kostin, a 2017 first-round pick, had a solid preseason with St. Louis and brings to his third season in the AHL a quest to be more disciplined and consistent, while goaltender Ville Husso looks for redemption after a disastrous season in 2018-19.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Ville Husso

“Husso had a horrendous season that further damaged his falling prospect stock. After a strong 2017-18 campaign, the Finn went 6-18-0 with a 3.67 GAA and .871 Sv% in 2018-19, eventually losing the clear-cut starting job to a slew of random cast-offs that featured Binnington and Jared Coreau. Husso still has the raw skill to make a name for himself, including his athleticism, size (and more importantly, the way he uses it), and his ability to read plays as they develop and position himself accordingly.”

Klim Kostin

“Though he went through another underwhelming AHL season, the 6-3”, 212lbs 20-year-old impressed scouts with his body control, momentum on his skates, and his physical, power-forward game. A fast shot and nifty puck-protection skills make Kostin a fun player to watch when he gets to enter the zone with momentum, though his lack of speed and assertiveness can hold him back.”

Mitch Reinke

“His speed allows him to frequently exit the defensive zone, while his vision and hockey sense give him the instincts to put the puck in the right place. He can jump into the play and let off his strong, accurate wrist shot, but he is more of a facilitator than anything.”

Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)

Since moving to Stockton from Glens Fall, New York, the Flames have not won a single playoff series. With their NHL parent club in a “win now” window, it has obviously been difficult for Stockton to establish a consistent winner in the AHL.

And with Calgary bulking up the big-league club for another potential run at the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs, Stockton head coach Cail MacLean has his work cut out for him again. Especially without Jusso Valimaki, who tore his ACL in offseason training and is expected to miss the entire 2019-20 season, several others with the AHL Flames will need to step their games up this year.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Dillon Dube

“Shifty and quick on his feet, the former captain of Team Canada at the World Junior Championship exhibited plus value as a playmaking passer while also playing as a forceful, self-assured shooting option. His undersized frame is not a hindrance to his highend rough-and-tumble, forechecking game, as his play in the cycle is where he really shines as a passer and in-tight puck-handler.”

Matthew Phillips

“Grading out as an above-average skater and shooter, the Calgary native can impact games with his slippery skating, tricky shot release, and plus vision to create lanes for his linemates. At just 5-7” and 155 pounds, his physical game obviously lags, but he can be effective enough at separating himself from opposing defenders against the boards.”

Tyler Parsons

“A master scrambler, Parsons lacks technical refinement but more than makes up for it with competitiveness, play-tracking, and the reflexes to complement his all-out style of goaltending. The 2017 WJC gold medalist needs nothing more than a clean bill of health to continue his ascent up the ranks of NHL goaltending prospects, as the 2016 second-rounder projects to be a mid-tier NHL starter, but with more room to grow.”

Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)

The Reign suffered through a dreadful 2018-19 season, one that became increasingly hard as the campaign continued, with the Kings recalling many Ontario’s best players.

Matt Luff, Carl Grundstrom, and Austin Wagner joined L.A.’s forward group, Sean Walker and Matt Roy saw time on the blue line, and Cal Petersen played in the crease at some points in the year. Using a core of inexperienced defensemen, ineffective forwards, and whoever else the Reign could snag from ECHL Manchester was not a recipe for success.

New additions Jaret Anderson-Dolan (2017 second-rounder) and Rasmus Kupari (2018 first-rounder) hope to turn the tide, to say nothing of the possible return to help of 2017 first rounder Gabriel Vilardi, bringing excitement to San Bernardino county. The Reign could be a sneaky playoff team, or just die out early like last season, but unpredictability can be entertaining, at least.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Rasmus Kupari

“His greatest asset is, without doubt, his skating. Highly agile on his skates, he can make tight turns and cuts and he possesses strong edge control. He stops and starts well and has excellent top-end speed. He can maneuver with the puck in tight spaces and has a lot of puck skill as well.”

Gabriel Vilardi

“He possesses a great size and skill package down the middle and is a terrific playmaker who thinks the game at a high level and really can dominate possession down low. He is just so strong and difficult to separate from the puck. Vilardi played only four games for Ontario last year because of a lingering back injury that appears to be threatening his promising career.”

Jaret Anderson-Dolan

“Anderson-Dolan had a tough season last year battling injuries, but managed to finish the season strong. He finished the season by putting up 20 goals and 43 points in 32 games for the [Spokane] Chiefs, and 15 in 13 games in the playoffs, demonstrating that his multi-tool impact was still there.”

Colorado Avalanche 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 10:57:58 +0000

Prospects are never a sure thing, but we like to think that we know a thing or two about them here at McKeens, and I find it hard to think of a better pair of defensive prospects on any one roster than the Colorado duo of Bowen Byram and Cale Makar. I looked at last year’s rankings and Colorado actually had a good pairing then, too, between Makar and Conor Timmins.

Makar has seen his stock improve in the last 12 months, while Timmins’ has somewhat abated, through no fault of his own, as he missed the entirety of the 2018-19 season due to a serious concussion. We are optimistic about an eventual return to action for Timmins and didn’t really dock his grades very much, barring some for the lost development time.

While the Colorado duo was strong, they were really in a battle for the second best defensive pairing along with Toronto (Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren), the New York Islanders (Bode Wilde and Noah Dobson), and Chicago (Adam Boqvist and Henri Jokiharju). The best pairing, with no real doubt, belonged to Vancouver, with two recent top ten picks in Quinn Hughes and Olli Juolevi. The two individually ranked 12^th and 23^rd overall among all prospects, respectively.

We have not yet completed evaluating the entirety of the prospect class to determine where Byram and Makar ranks this year, but I have a good feeling that they will end up leaving the Hughes/Juolevi tandem in the dust.

That all said, there is good reason to believe that their status will be short lived, as Makar may be the most NHL-ready prospect among all 31 teams, while Byram also has a chance to make the NHL squad out of training camp.

Both defenders profile as future number one types, a ceiling height that is only approached by a few other prospects, including the aforementioned Hughes, Boqvist and Dobson, the Senators’ Erik Brannstrom, and possibly Rangers’ prospect K’Andre Miller.

Considering handedness, with Byram the lefty-handed shot to Makar’s right-handed stick, the Avalanche will have the option of putting them both together as perhaps the best skating pairing in the sport. Both players have elite or close to it speed with hands that are just as fast-paced as their feet. Both are possession drivers and love to push the play.

As enticing as such a combination would be, the Avalanche are unlikely to pair them for the near future. Even for a relatively progressive organization, such as Colorado is, there is a ton of risk inherent with rookie defenders and having two playing together would be piling on that risk. There is also the matter of the players’ respective game playing styles somewhat resembling one another, but there being only one puck on the ice at a time while they both like to play the puck. The team actually has a third such blueliner in the young Samuel Girard. I would have to think that the preference would be to split those three onto separate pairings (assuming Byram plays more than the nine game trial in Colorado), tethering one each to Erik Johnson, Ian Cole, and Nikita Zadorov, the latter three of whom are all better suited to protect a young partner who is trying to make something happen. We will all be smarter in two months or so, but until then, it is s fun proposition to think about.

-Ryan Wagman

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) (Photo by Russell Lansford/Icon Sportswire)

1 Bowen Byram, D (4^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Byram stepped up his game for his draft year and elevated himself up to the 4th overall pick by Colorado. He is an elite skating defender with great offensive instincts, a solid two way game, and is a tremendous puck mover. He is the first defensemen to lead the WHL in playoff scoring, putting up 26 points in 22 games, after scoring 26 goals and 71 points in the regular season. He dominates on the ice and can do it all. He will be a top defender, a PP QB, and will certainly push for a spot on the Avalanche in training camp this season. Selecting Byram also allowed Colorado to move defensemen Tyson Barrie in the off-season, and GM Joe Sakic will look like a genius in picking him, as he will look like the steal of the draft, even after being selected 4^th between his upside and his level of readiness. - KO

2 Cale Makar, D (4^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 1) Cale Makar is one of the more promising defensemen to play NCAA hockey. Last season with UMass he almost willed them to a National Championship with 16 goals and 49 points in 41 games. Everything ran through him. He was the 2019 Hobey Baker Award winner, showing that his draft pedigree was earned. He will have a huge impact with his skating and scoring in Colorado this coming season after teasing with his play for the Avalanche in the postseason. He may be able to replace the departed Tyson Barrie as the top power-play quarterback and overall #1 defenseman. It is a tall order but there is no reason to believe he can’t do that right out of the gate, barring injury. He has to work on his physical play and puck security as the Avalanche won’t let him be as freewheeling as he was in college. Makar did a lot to advance UMass as a top program in Hockey East and he seems poised to do the same for Colorado. - RC

3 Alex Newhook, C (16^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Newhook dominated tearing up the BCHL last season with 38 goals and 102 points in only 53 games. The Grizzlies captain followed that up with another dominating performance in the playoffs with 11 goals and 24 points in 15 games as they came up short losing to Prince George in the Fred Page Cup semifinal. Newhook was picked as league MVP, and put up another good showing for Canada at the Under18’s with 5 goals and 5 assists in 7 games. He will move on and take his skillset to play for Boston College next season as he continues to develop his game. He is a terrific skater who plays with speed and has high end offensive skills that any team would covet. He projects to be a top six forward and a special teams expert who will likely spend a year or two in college before turning pro. - KO

4 Martin Kaut, RW (16^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 4) A 2018 first-rounder who immediately made the jump to the North American pro game, Kaut showed maturity-beyond-his-years, as the intelligent winger scouts thought of him as before Colorado swiped him off the board. Although his offensive game was stagnant, his defensive game -- where his value is most apparent -- needed no adjustment from Europe to the North American style. His incredible rink sense make him a pest on the puck, and his willingness to play deep in the defensive zone is an unteachable, immeasurable talent. His top speed looked better than in his draft year, including his all-world technical skating skill, which allows him to cut and pivot beautifully. He would benefit from using his heavy, high-velocity wrist shot more, and taking more risks as an offensive player. He may not be the most dynamic player in the system, but he is arguably the safest and most reliable, and could be a future top-six two-way winger. - TD

5 Shane Bowers, RW (28^th overall, 2017 [Ottawa]. Last Year: 5) A first round pick of the Senators in 2017, Bowers was not everyone’s cup of tea, as he was more of a smarts and size over skill and production type of player as a junior star. Even though he began his collegiate career with aa bang at Boston University, he regressed sharply – along with many of his teammates – as a sophomore and turned pro shortly thereafter, getting a brief cameo with the Colorado Eagles before the season was done. Bowers is the type of player that specializes in performing the little things, doing the grunt work while his linemates hog the glory. He can accelerate the cycle game, bringing the puck in from the perimeter and putting a scoring chance in motion. He plays with energy and can be used in all situations. His upside may not be higher than a middle six role, but he is very close to that ceiling already, making him one of the safer players in this system. - RW

6 Conor Timmins, D (32^nd overall, 2017. Last Year: 2) 2018-19 was a year to forget for Timmins as he missed the entire season recovering from post-concussion syndrome. As of this writing, he is still not cleared for full contact, although Colorado hopes that he can be ready at some point this year. At his best, Timmins is a potential minute munching defender who can play in any situation. He is particularly effective at winning board battles in his own end and can swing play the other way for his team. Of course, it remains to be seen what repercussions this unfortunate injury has had on his development and whether he will be the same player he was prior to it. Until further notice, we will remain optimistic. - BO

7 Vladislav Kamenev, C (42^nd overall, 2014 [Nashville]. Last Year: 3) An upstart young center acquired by the Avalanche in the Matt Duchene trade of November 2017, Kamenev’s talent and drive has not been matched by his health, specifically his lack thereof. Since being shipped to the Colorado system, the Russian has only appeared in 35 pro games across parts of two full seasons, with a broken arm and shoulder surgery derailing an otherwise promising start to his career. He exhibits veteran vision and playmaking skills, with his shot evolving into a legitimate weapon from anywhere on the ice. He plays on both the penalty kill and power play, and at five-on-five has displayed the long-term potential to be a depth-scoring, physical centerman who can be trusted with a late-game faceoff. He has another chance at cracking the Avs’ bottom-six to start the 2019-20 season. - TD

8 Justus Annunen, G (64^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 8) Annunen has been the top Finnish goalie in his age-group dating a few years back. He had a decent season in Finland’s second highest league and his game improved towards the end of the season. He has strong overall skating ability, quick legs, and he moves effectively and quickly across the crease. He reads shooters well and is particularly difficult to beat down low. He flashes a quick glove from time to time and his rebound control. Whether it be on high or low shots, is solid. He is calm and quiet in the crease and has shown the ability t perform well in pressure situations I firmly think that Annunen has the potential to develop into a number one goalie for the Avalanche in time. - MB

9 Sampo Ranta, LW (78^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 6) A gifted shooter in his draft year with Sioux City, Rampo found it harder to score against the better goalies in the NCAA as a freshman. As the season progressed, he became more central to the Golden Gophers’ offensive attack, even if his full year numbers do not fully reflect his abilities. He is strong for his age, looks good driving the net and has the type of hand-eye coordination needed to play in front of the net. He needs to do a better job of recognizing scoring opportunities going forward to enable his production to be more in line with his ceiling. If his at times scintillating performance at the recent World Junior Summer Showcase is any indication, Ranta could find his way onto the Finnish WJC squad in the winter. His overall game is still raw, but he still has middle six upside. - RW

10 Drew Helleson, D (47^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Of all of the talented defenders in the USNTDP class last year, Helleson played the purest form of defensive defense. He is big and strong, and a bear along the boards. He plays a menacing style and has a knack for forcing opponents to the outside, thereby preventing danger from escalating. He keeps tight gaps and uses his stick well to strip pucks when he isn’t simply shutting them down with his physical game. He would occasionally jump into the rush with the Program, contributing with a quick shot release and solid skating, but he is more natural as an outlet option from the point. I expect him to stick to a defensive role at BC starting in the Fall, as he is groomed for a future role on the third pairing. - RW

11 Nick Henry, RW (94^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 10) Henry has a solid build on a short stocky frame. He uses it to be hard on pucks and relentless on the forecheck. Playing on a skill team in Lethbridge this season he showed he could be a play maker rather than only the trigger man on a line. He drives play with his ability to carry the puck through the neutral zone. He is a shoot first player but he has shown enough that you have to be mindful of the pass option. He isn’t a pure speed player but he moves around the ice well enough that guys have to respect him. His offensive skills will take a few years in the pros before he would ever get a look at an NHL team, but he could carve out a role in a bottom six even if his full skill set doesn’t translate. - VG

12 Logan O’Connor, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jul. 23, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) O’Connor became one of the best stories among NHL prospects last season. The captain at the University of Denver, he was invited to Avs training camp, where he promptly earned a two-year ELC and reported to the AHL club. In 64 games, the right-shot winger scored 19 goals and added 23 assists, even being rewarded with a brief, five-game stint in the NHL. He is a wonderful skater with the acceleration of a top-line scorer, and possesses the smarts and discipline to consistently make a major impact in all three zones. His versatility is his strongest weapon, as he can play all three forward spots -- up and down the lineup -- with surprising effectiveness. O’Connor is a hard-working bottom-six guy in the future, and his maturity and experience might make him an NHLer as soon as this upcoming season. - TD

13 Danila Zhuravlyov, D (146^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 19) Zhuravlyov had a solid season at home in 2018-19, playing pro hockey the whole season in the VHL and representing Team Russia at the WJC as an underager. The blueliner is an interesting two-way defenseman with a good shot which he should try to unleash more often. He should also work on his release, but he is on his way to being a solid pro and is still only 19. In his own zone, Zhuravlyov is sometimes too passive, but has a decent sense of positioning and rarely spends time in the penalty box. The Russian defenseman needs to mature and keep on improving his game. He has very good skills in most areas but needs to keep on working hard to jump to the next level. The next couple of years will be of paramount importance for him to fully understand whether he can turn into a real NHL player. - ASR

14 Calle Rosen, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed May 16, 2017 [Toronto]. Last Year: 7 [Toronto]) Rosen is a good skater and smart with the puck. He makes easy work of capitalizing on turnovers in the neutral zone. He can be a very bright and smart player but he can also be the player that turns the puck over in the worst situations. Until he lowers his number of turnovers and becomes more consistent, he will be relegated to a bottom four role at the highest level. Rosen has the potential to be a top two defenseman when on his game and present in plays but when he takes a step back or makes a sloppy play he damages his odds greatly. Despite being well known for his passing skills, he will need to be more confident in the passes he makes and win more physical battles in the corners next season when he starts with the Avalanche. Overall, the ceiling is still quite high and has a lot of potential. - SC

15 Trent Miner, G (202^nd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Miner had an excellent season for the Giants on their way to coming within game of winning the WHL. Expected to backup Arizona prospect David Tendeck, Miner put pushed his way into a split situation putting up 1.98 GAA, a .924 SV%, and a 24-5-1-1 record. He took more of a backseat in the playoffs, but got in six games in accruing valuable experience. With both goalies playing well, it looks like it could be another split this season as he returns to the Giants, but Miner’s play should further improve. He works and competes hard, has decent size and his positional play is solid. He likes to stay involved and one of his strengths is his ability to play the puck, which he is good at moving up ice. He still has a few years of WHL eligibility before he would move up to the AHL levels. - KO

16 Alex Beaucage, RW (78^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Beaucage has an excellent shot and great hands. His father Marc played in the NHL and his hockey sense shows it. His five-on-five numbers are very encouraging, and his advanced statistics have some in the analytics community thinking he is a steal for the third round. He has great offensive potential, but his skating needs some work. The fact that he was overshadowed by other performers at the Memorial Cup, despite the small sample size, does not work in his favor. He is set to have much more ice time this coming season and to be a shining feature in the Huskies lineup, so he can improve his already-impressive 79 points in 68 games. The next season will be a telling one for Beaucage with an increased role, but his offensive talent could lead to a top-two line role sooner rather than later. - MS

17 Tyler Weiss, LW/C (109^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 7) A rare product of North Carolina, Weiss was a skilled but underutilized forward with the UNSTDP in his draft year and he – and the Avalanche – had hoped that he would grow into a bigger role on an average Nebraska-Omaha squad. That hope hasn’t yet diminished, but it didn’t happen as a freshman, as Weiss was limited to 11 points in 25 games between injuries and acclimation struggles. The raw tools are still there. Weiss is a fine skater and a gifted puck handler with some offensive flair. The underdeveloped frame and lack of physical strength are also still there and that is the first focal area needed for improvement before he can be compared against early expectations. He could play on a bottom six with his energy game, but needs more consistency and strength first. - RW

18 Brandon Saigeon, C (140^th overall, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) Saigeon is a hard-nosed goal scorer who operates most effectively as a triggerman on the powerplay. His release, in combination with the power he generates on his wrist or snap shot, make him a threat to score on every shift. He is also a battler in the offensive zone who will grind away to find those soft spots in the defense. While his skating has already improved a lot, it will need to continue to improve for him to be an NHL player. As of right now, Saigeon will be playing next year on an AHL contract as Colorado decides whether or not to give him an ELC. He will likely need to show them that his game can translate rather quickly to the professional level. - BO

19 Nikolai Kovalenko, RW (171^st overall, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) The American-born Russian forward is growing well at home within the Lokomotiv organization – one of the best of the country for young players. The son of a former NHL player, Kovalenko took significant steps forward last year helping Russia to get back home with a bronze medal at the WJC even if his contribution was limited due to an early injury. His game shows that he is the son of a coach, although he plays a different style when compared to his father, Andrei. He is less physical and plays more on the perimeter. Kovalenko is gifted with good skating and technique but needs to improve on his defensive game and gain some more meat. He is steadily progressing at home and when his contract runs out in 2022 he may be fully ready to the transition to the NHL, which will be easier in comparison to other Russian players due to his history. - ASR

20 Cameron Morrison, LW (40^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 9) Although mitigated by the fact that he missed around a quarter of the 2018-19 season, there is no denying the fact that Morrison’s offensive output has declined each season from his freshman high of 24 points. He has commendable alertness and demonstrates a knack for getting to loose pucks first despite lacking big wheels. His best tool is his big shot but he has struggled in getting into ideal shooting position and has thus not really fortified a spot as a genuine top line option at the NCAA level. The former second round pick is heading into his senior season and is not much closer to the NHL than he was on draft day, but the Avalanche would not have given up on him quite yet. - RW

Logan O’Connor – McKeen's Hockey

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MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – COLORADO AVALANCHE – NHL Player Profiles

FORWARDS

DEFENSE

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Colorado Avalanche Top 20 Prospects

Bowen Byram, D (4th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

Alex Newhook, C (16th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 3)

Justus Annunen, G (64th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 8)

Martin Kaut, RW (16th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 4)

Conor Timmins, D (32nd overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 6)

Justin Barron, D (25th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Shane Bowers, C (Trade: Nov. 5, 2017. Originally: 28th overall, 2017 [Ottawa]. Previous ranking: 5)

Sampo Ranta, LW (78th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

Jean-Luc Foudy, C (75th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Nikolai Kovalenko, RW (171st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 19)

Alex Beaucage, RW (78th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 16)

Colby Ambrosio, C (118th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Dennis Gilbert, D (Trade: Oct. 10, 2020. Originally: 91st overall, 2015 [Chicago]. Previous ranking: 8 [Chicago])

Ryder Rolston, RW (139th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Logan O’Connor, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed 23, 2018. Previous ranking: 12)

Danila Zhuravlyov, D (146th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 13)

Drew Helleson, D (47th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 10)

Sasha Mutala, RW (140th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: UR)

Luka Burzan, C (171st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: UR)

Trent Miner, G (202nd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 16)

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – COLORADO AVALANCHE – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 9

Colorado Avalanche

Bowen Byram, D (4th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 2)

Alex Newhook, C (16th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 3)

Justus Annunen, G (64th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 8)

Martin Kaut, RW (16th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 4)

Conor Timmins, D (32nd overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 6)

Shane Bowers, C (Trade: Nov. 5, 2017. Originally: 28th overall, 2017 [Ottawa]. 2019 Rank: 5)

Sampo Ranta, LW (78th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 9)

Nikolai Kovalenko, RW (171st overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 19)

Alex Beaucage, RW (78th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 16)

Logan O’Connor, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed 23, 2018. 2019 Rank: 12)

Danila Zhuravlyov, D (146th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 13)

Drew Helleson, D (47th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 10)

Sasha Mutala, RW (140th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

J. Greer, LW (39th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: UR)

Luka Burzan, C (171st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

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Iowa Wild (Minnesota Wild)

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San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)

Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)

Texas Stars (Dallas Stars)

San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks)

Rockford IceHogs (Chicago Blackhawks)

Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche)

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San Antonio Rampage (St. Louis Blues)

Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)

Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)

Colorado Avalanche 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Bowen Byram, D (4^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

Alex Newhook, C (16^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 3)

Justus Annunen, G (64^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 8)

Martin Kaut, RW (16^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 4)

Conor Timmins, D (32^nd overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 6)

Justin Barron, D (25^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Shane Bowers, C (Trade: Nov. 5, 2017. Originally: 28^th overall, 2017 [Ottawa]. Previous ranking: 5)

Sampo Ranta, LW (78^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

Jean-Luc Foudy, C (75^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Nikolai Kovalenko, RW (171^st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 19)

Alex Beaucage, RW (78^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 16)

Colby Ambrosio, C (118^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Dennis Gilbert, D (Trade: Oct. 10, 2020. Originally: 91^st overall, 2015 [Chicago]. Previous ranking: 8 [Chicago])

Ryder Rolston, RW (139^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Danila Zhuravlyov, D (146^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 13)

Drew Helleson, D (47^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 10)

Sasha Mutala, RW (140^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: UR)

Luka Burzan, C (171^st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: UR)

Trent Miner, G (202^nd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 16)

Bowen Byram, D (4^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 2)

Alex Newhook, C (16^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 3)

Justus Annunen, G (64^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 8)

Martin Kaut, RW (16^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 4)

Conor Timmins, D (32^nd overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 6)

Shane Bowers, C (Trade: Nov. 5, 2017. Originally: 28^th overall, 2017 [Ottawa]. 2019 Rank: 5)

Sampo Ranta, LW (78^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 9)

Nikolai Kovalenko, RW (171^st overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 19)

Alex Beaucage, RW (78^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 16)

Danila Zhuravlyov, D (146^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 13)

Drew Helleson, D (47^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 10)

Sasha Mutala, RW (140^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

J. Greer, LW (39^thoverall, 2015. 2019 Rank: UR)

Luka Burzan, C (171^st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)