Martin Kaut – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Injuries provide opportunities – Blues resurrecting careers in Blais, Vrana and Kapanen

Scott Cullen — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 16:02:32 +0000

Each week I dive into the numbers and offer some insights that should help when it comes time to make fantasy hockey decisions.

This week, the 2022-2023 NHL season is winding down and there are opportunities available for a rookie defenseman like Jake Sanderson to step up and the St. Louis Blues have been working quite successfully on resurrecting the careers of some forwards, including Sammy Blais, Jakub Vrana, and Kasperi Kapanen.

OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 22: Ottawa Senators Defenceman Jake Sanderson (85) before a face-off during third period National Hockey League action between the Arizona Coyotes and Ottawa Senators on October 22, 2022, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

#1 Ottawa Senators rookie blueliner Jake Sanderson has had an excellent first season in the NHL and looks like he should see a big role in the final few weeks of the season. Thomas Chabot and Jakob Chychrun are both out, which opens the door for Sanderson to see first unit power play time and extra ice time has resulted in more production for the freshman defenseman. Sanderson played a career high 27:49 against Philadelphia on Thursday and has played more than 23 minutes in 22 games this season, recording 11 assists in those games, including seven helpers with the man advantage.

ST. LOUIS, MO - FEBRUARY 28: St. Louis Blues left wing Sammy Blais (79) looks for a shooting lane during a game between the Seattle Kraken and the St. Louis Blues on February 28 2023, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis MO (Photo by Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire)

#2 Seeing what he has been able to accomplish since returning to St. Louis, it feels like the New York Rangers might have missed out on the best of Sammy Blais, who was primarily a spare part in his time with the Blueshirts. In his past 12 games, Blais has 15 points (6 G, 9 A) and 53 hits, making him a hugely valuable fantasy contributor and one that is widely available.

#3 Cast aside by the Detroit Red Wings, Jakub Vrana is quickly re-establishing his credentials as a top goal scorer. He scored a goal in Thursday’s 5-3 win at Chicago, making it nine goals and 43 shots on goal in 13 games since he was acquired by the Blues. He now has 23 goals in 44 games since the start of last season.

#4 While we’re hanging out praise in St. Louis, might as well include right winger Kasperi Kapanen, getting another chance to play up in the lineup after his progress stalled in Toronto and Pittsburgh. The 26-year-old speedster has nine points (5 G, 4 A), with 20 shots on goal while playing more than 17 minutes per game, in his past eight contests. With Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich injured, Kapanen has even moved to the middle, playing center between Blais and Jordan Kyrou.

#5 Although he is not as dangerous as he was during his prime years in New Jersey, the Islanders’ Kyle Palmieri is providing much-needed offense for a team making a push to the playoffs. Since the trade deadline, Palmieri has 13 points (6 G, 7 A) and 30 shots on goal in 12 games. He is up to 15 goals in 49 games and the last time he had more in a season was when he scored 25 in 2019-2020, his last full season with the Devils.

#6 The Nashville Predators remain in the playoff hunt, but they are missing star defenseman Roman Josi, who has an upper-body injury. Fortunately for the Preds, newly acquired Tyson Barrie is helping to fill the role of puck-moving blueliner, contributing seven points (2 G, 5 A) while averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time per game in his past eight games. Barrie’s ice time had dipped the past couple of seasons in Edmonton, but he has spent most of his career logging 21+ minutes of ice time per game, so he can handle this responsibility.

#7 In what has mostly been a lost season, the Philadelphia Flyers can take some solace in the development of young players. One of those players that is rising to the forefront is 23-year-old center Morgan Frost, who has nine points (4 G, 5 A) and 16 shots on goal in his pats eight games. He has landed in the middle of a line with Joel Farabee and Owen Tippett, players that should be part of the Flyers’ future, so it would make sense to feed them big minutes the rest of the way.

#8 Production tends to run hot and cold for Edmonton Oilers right winger Kailer Yamamoto, but he seems to have found his groove right now, skating on a line with Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane, which is admittedly a pretty good spot for point production. In his past seven games, Yamamoto has seven points (2 G, 5 A) and 12 shots on goal. While he has just 24 points in 52 games this season, he did have a career-high 41 points in 81 games last season, so there is some untapped offensive upside in the diminutive 24-year-old winger.

#9 Finding productive fourth line scoring is a rarity in the National Hockey League, but it appears that the Seattle Kraken have a reliable source in Daniel Sprong. In his past 11 games, the 26-year-old winger has 10 points (5 G, 5 A) and 25 shots on goal, while averaging just 10:38 of ice time per game. Among players that have played more than 500 five-on-five minutes, Kraken teammate Jared McCann and Montreal’s Cole Caufield are the only ones that have scored at a higher rate than Sprong’s 1.57 goals per 60 minutes.

#10 One of my favorite players to recommend late in the season has been Arizona Coyotes center Barrett Hayton, who is thriving on a line with Clayton Keller. In his past 12 games, Hayton has 16 points (7 G, 9 A) and 33 shots on goal while averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per game. It has taken some time since he was drafted fifth overall in the 2018 Draft, but Hayton’s emergence in the second half of this season should give the Coyotes confidence that he the 22-year-old pivot can be a part of the long-term solution for the franchise.

#11 Injuries have taken their toll on Montreal Canadiens right winger Brendan Gallagher, not only keeping him out of the lineup for extended periods, but also diminishing what he can contribute when he is available to play. Since returning from his latest turn on the injured list, though, Gallagher is looking healthy and has produced four points (3 G, 1 A) and 16 shots on goal in six games. The Habs are cobbling together a functional lineup at this point, with so many players hurt, but Gallagher is getting first unit power play time in addition to skating on a line with Jake Evans and Sean Farrell, the 2020 fourth-round pick who was just signed out of Harvard.

#12 For a defenseman who has never had 25 points in a season, Florida Panthers blueliner Radko Gudas still has a measure of fantasy value because he is a man with a particular set of skills. He hits and hits a lot. In his past 17 games, Gudas has a modest total of four assists, but he also has 90 hits, which works out to 5.3 hits per game. With 280 hits, he ranks third, just behind Luke Schenn (283) and Tanner Jeannot (281).

#13 The season has been undeniably rough for the Anaheim Ducks, but it is not going to get any better with Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry out of the lineup. Zegras is injured and Terry is staying in Anaheim due to the premature birth of his child. Isaac Lundestrom is getting first line duty at center but has gone 14 games without a point. If there is fantasy value to be found in the Ducks lineup, look to Jakob Silfverberg, who has four assists in his past five games, or Derek Grant, who has six points (2 G, 4 A) in his past 10 games. Okay, those are really only options for the deepest of leagues.

#14 With Buffalo Sabres star center Tage Thompson dealing with an upper-body injury, Casey Mittelstadt is getting a shot on the top line between Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch. Mittelstadt could stand to shoot the puck more often but does have four assists in his past six games, giving him a career high 44 points (10 G, 34 A) for the season.

#15 Since Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart is dealing with a lower-body injury, that should mean more action for Felix Sandstrom and potentially Samuel Ersson, too. Sandstrom has not shown much in a backup role this season but does have a .900 save percentage in five starts since the trade deadline. Ersson has not played for the Flyers since allowing seven goals on 36 shots at New Jersey on February 25, but he had a few standout performances, too, including a 28-save shutout against Buffalo. Speaking of Buffalo, a better option for goaltending late in the season could be Devon Levi, who is set to make his debut for the Sabres on Friday. Levi was a seventh-round pick in 2020 but just wrapped up a college career in which he had a .942 save percentage in 66 games for Northeastern.

#16 Injuries have caught up to the San Jose Sharks, with Alexander Barbanov, Andreas Johnsson, and Evgeny Svechnikov all out of action. That has opened the door for Jacob Peterson, Martin Kaut, and Thomas Bordeleau to land top-six roles in the San Jose lineup. Peterson has three assists in four games since he was acquired from the Dallas Stars. Kaut, claimed off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche earlier in the season, has four points (2 G, 2 A) with 11 shots on goal in his past five games. Bordeleau recorded an assist in his first game of the season for the Sharks after tallying 41 points (22 G, 19 A) in 64 AHL games. None of these players look like stars, but they are getting a great opportunity at the end of this season to show that they belong in the league.

#17 The top two rookie scorers since the trade deadline play for the Arizona Coyotes. Matias Maccelli has 13 points (6 G, 7 A) and is followed by Jack McBain, who has 10 points (3 G, 7 A). They have most recently been skating with Lawson Crouse on the second line in addition to sharing second unit power play time. Maccelli now ranks second among all rookie scorers this season, with 43 points (10 G, 33 A) in 57 games.

#18 Another rookie forward contributing late in the season is Buffalo’s J.J. Peterka, who has nine points (2 G, 7 A) and 18 shots on goal in his past nine games. He has been skating on a line with Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn, with the 22-year-old Cozens counting as the old vet on the line.

#19 Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy leads the NHL with 12 goals in 13 games since the trade deadline. His 0.92 goals per game ranks first, ahead of Clayton Keller and Leon Draisaitl (0.79), Matthew Tkachuk (0.77), Auston Matthews and Alex Ovechkin (0.75). When it comes to points per game, Draisaitl leads with 1.93 points per game (11 G, 16 A in 14 GP), followed by Connor McDavid (1.86), Tkachuk (1.69), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (1.64), Cale Makar and J.T. Miller (1.62).

#20 Matthews has talked about how a hand injury had negatively impacted his production earlier in the season, but he sure seems to be firing on all cylinders now. Matthews has 67 shots on goal in 12 games since the deadline, an average of 5.58 per game, which leads the league. Before that, he was averaging 4.15 shots on goal per game, so that is a dramatic improvement, though it is admittedly skewed by his launching 15 shots on goal against Carolina on February 25. That is remarkable because the Hurricanes are, easily, the best team in the league when it comes to shot suppression, allowing an average of 25.7 shots against per 60 minutes. The rest of the shots per game leaders since the trade deadline: David Pastrnak (5.29), Viktor Arvidsson (4.75), Brady Tkachuk (4.71), Nathan MacKinnon (4.47), Jack Hughes (4.40), Matthew Tkachuk (4.38), Carter Verhaeghe (4.30), Sidney Crosby (4.21), and Jake Guentzel (4.14). Many of those names are to be expected, though Arvidsson and Verhaeghe are hanging in elite company. Crosby has clearly become more aggressive with his approach as the Penguins desperately cling to a playoff spot.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

AHL: BELL – 5 Prospects with something to prove after NHL Trade Deadline

Josh Bell — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 21:57:38 +0000

SAN JOSE, CA - FEBRUARY 25: San Jose Sharks Right Wing Martin Kaut (87) shoots the puck during the game between the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks on February 25, 2023 at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA. (Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire)

After an action-packed week, the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline has passed. As always, the focus is on the buyers from the trade deadline, to see if their additions were worth the cost as they make a run for the Stanley Cup, or even just a run to make the playoffs.

It takes a little longer for the sellers to see how their acquisitions will pan out. Many teams sell off pieces for prospects and draft picks, and it could be years before you know if the deals were worth it. Will the draft pick hit? Can the prospect turn into an NHL player or even a star?

There were several prospects on the move in the weeks and months before the deadline. Some were likely due for a change of scenery, but others might simply have been the price to land a big name - say, a Bo Horvat. Many of these prospects might have felt that they didn’t have enough time or enough of a true chance to prove themselves to their former teams.

With that in mind, here are five prospects that have swapped teams in the last couple of months that will have something to prove in their new homes.

Mikhail Abramov, C, Springfield Thunderbirds (St. Louis Blues)

Formerly: Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Drafted back in 2019 by the Toronto Maple Leafs, 115th overall, Mikhail Abramov was coming off of an extremely strong rookie season in the QMJHL with the Victoriaville Tigres. It was also his first season in North America, coming over from Russia. He potted 54 points (16 goals, 38 assists) in that season and was named to the All-Rookie Team.

He followed that up with another 76 points (35 goals, 41 assists) in 63 games in 2019-20, and then 30 points (12 goals, 18 assists) in 25 games in 2020-21. In that final season, as the captain for the Tigres, he then added 24 points (five goals, 19 assists) in 19 playoff games en route to a QMJHL Championship. After that run, he joined the Toronto Marlies in 2021-22, recording 28 points (seven goals, 21 assists) in 66 games. Before being traded this season, he had 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 34 games.

Abramov didn’t have a ton of time in pro hockey to prove himself as a future NHLer, and there wasn’t going to be a spot available to take that next step any time soon. There’s no question that he’s a very strong playmaker, and that skill could be what carries him to the next level. He’s not a sure thing, and will likely need at least one more AHL season, but you can bet that he’ll be looking to prove the Maple Leafs wrong for moving on from him so early in his development. He’ll also be looking to prove the Blues right in acquiring him as a part of the Ryan O’Reilly deal.

Shane Bowers, C, Providence Bruins (Boston Bruins)

Formerly: Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche)

Shane Bowers had a strong two seasons in the USHL with the Waterloo Black Hawks, collecting 84 points (37 goals, 47 assists) across 116 games. He was named to the All-Rookie Second Team and then the Third All-Star Team. The Ottawa Senators rewarded him by calling his name 28th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft.

But the Senators didn’t hold on to him for long, shipping him to the Colorado Avalanche just months later to acquire Matt Duchene. Meanwhile, Bowers continued his strong play in the NCAA for two seasons, with 53 points (28 goals, 25 assists) in 77 games. In his rookie year, he was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team, was an honourable mention to the Hockey East All-Star Team, and helped his team to the Hockey East Championship. The future was looking bright.

He then made the jump to the AHL in 2019-20. While his rookie year was solid with 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 48 games, he’s truly struggled since. He had just nine points in each of the next two seasons, and before being traded this season had 14 (four goals, 10 assists) in 37 games. He was moved in an AHL deal for goaltender Keith Kinkaid.

This is likely the last chance for Bowers to prove himself as an NHL player rather than a career AHLer. He has shown the potential to be a solid two-way centreman, but it remains to be seen if he can be a consistent, reliable piece at the next level.

Martin Kaut, RW, San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)

Formerly: Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche)

Another first-round selection, the Colorado Avalanche selected Czech prospect Martin Kaut 16th overall in the 2018 NHL Draft. Kaut was playing with HC Dynamo Pardubice in the top men’s league in Czechia, where he had 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) in 38 games. He also had a very strong performance at the World Juniors that season. It looked like a great pick.

Having played against men for two seasons, it was no surprise that Kaut made the jump to the AHL immediately after being drafted. That is largely where he’s spent his time ever since then, recording 99 points (47 goals, 52 assists) in 173 games with the Colorado Eagles. Across those seasons, he’s regularly been called up to the NHL, playing in 47 games but managing just six points (three goals, three assists).

For Kaut, he couldn’t carve out a regular spot for himself at the NHL level. He was basically swapped for another prospect that’s had a hard time breaking in in Ryan Merkley. After the trade, SJ Hockey Now reported that Kaut had requested a trade “probably five times during the five years.” He noted that there just wasn’t an opportunity for him in the top-three lines, or even to play his own position, since the Avs were such a deep team.

Now that he’s with the Sharks organization, there should be a great deal of opportunity for Kaut - now he needs to take that opportunity and run with it, proving that he can be a consistent, reliable NHLer.

Isaac Ratcliffe, LW, Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators)

Formerly: Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers)

The Isaac Ratcliffe experiment in Philadelphia is over. Drafted 35th overall in 2017, the big winger was coming off a very strong sophomore OHL season with 54 points (28 goals, 26 assists) in 67 games for the Guelph Storm. He went on to spend two more seasons in the OHL, finishing his career as the captain, with 217 points (124 goals, 93 assists) in 245 games.

In 2019-20, he joined the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Outside of 10 NHL games in 2021-22, that’s where he’s remained since that point. He’s struggled significantly at the pro level, especially considering his offensive output in the OHL. In 162 games with the Phantoms, he finished his tenure with 56 points (22 goals, 34 assists). This season prior to the move, he had just four points (two goals, two assists) in 26 games.

This move was likely a long time coming, but from being drafted 35th overall in 2017 to being traded for future considerations is a big drop in stock for any player. Now with the Milwaukee Admirals, Ratcliffe will need to get his game back on track. Like Bowers, this could very well be his last opportunity to prove that he can become an NHL regular. What he does with that opportunity remains to be seen.

Aatu Raty, C, Abbotsford Canucks (Vancouver Canucks)

Formerly: Bridgeport Islanders/New York Islanders

Last but certainly not least, the path for Aatu Raty has not been an easy one. Once regarded as the first-overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, the Finnish prospect struggled in his draft year. So much so that he slid all the way to the 52nd spot, where the New York Islanders pulled the trigger.

In the following season, he had a solid bounce-back year after moving from Karpat to Jukurit in the Liiga, where he had 40 points (13 goals, 27 assists) in 41 games. He joined the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders at the end of the season, with four points (one goal, three assists) in six playoff games. This season, his first full one in North America, he’s been good, with 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 27 games in the AHL and another two goals in the AHL.

With the Islanders betting big and landing Bo Horvat, Raty was a key part heading the other way. Whether that was a sticking point for the Canucks, or the Islanders saw him as expendable, Raty now needs to prove yet another team wrong. He’s a strong prospect and looks like he should become a reliable NHLer. But after sliding to 52nd in the NHL draft, only to be traded a year and a half later, you can bet that Raty will be playing with a chip on his shoulder moving forward.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – COLORADO AVALANCHE – Top 20 Prospects

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 16:22:39 +0000

SAINT PAUL, MN - APRIL 29: Colorado Avalanche Left Wing Ben Meyers (59) lines up for a faceoff during the NHL game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Minnesota Wild on April 29th, 2022, at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)

1 - Bowen Byram D

Byram barely keeps his eligibility for our list because he was limited this past season due to a very serious concussion that caused him to step away from the Avalanche for an extended period. He recovered in time to play a large part in Colorado’s Stanley Cup victory, playing well over 20 minutes per game in the Championship series against Tampa Bay. Byram can impact the game in so many different ways. He excels as a puck mover because of his high-end skating ability. Byram is not only an effortless mover in all four directions, but he is explosive moving forward, making him a very difficult player to pin down. His decision making with the puck and game management were inconsistent early on in his NHL career, but he has worked hard to improve this. Byram has also worked hard to be a better defensive player and a more imposing physical presence. This was evident in the playoffs, where he really stepped up his physicality to become a suffocating defensive player. Moving forward, the sky is the limit for Byram, so long as he can stay healthy. He has had trouble doing so in his career thus far, but if he can avoid injuries, he should emerge as a top four defender on the Avalanche this coming season (even with their depth) and have his best season to date. - BO

2 - Sean Behrens D

A late second-round pick at the 2021 draft, Sean Behrens quickly silenced any who might have doubted how well his game would work at the college level. Behrens’ five-foot-ten frame didn’t stop him from authoring an excellent freshman campaign, a season that culminated in him winning the NCAA National Championship with the University of Denver. Behrens’ prospect profile shares a lot of similarities with another undersized defenseman, New York Rangers prospect Zac Jones. Like Jones, the two traits of Behrens’ game that stand out the most are his skating and his intelligence. Behrens moves exactly as well as you’d want an undersized defenseman to move, and his mobility gives him upside as a transitional defenseman. Behrens’ stride is extremely smooth and looks almost effortless when he’s picking up the puck in his own zone in order to lead a breakout. Behrens can also be often found reading the play, scanning to see where the best options are and where he can best position himself to help his team. It’s always said that the best players are the ones who go to where the game will be, rather than where it is at any given moment, and Behrens is in the right place at the right time often enough to confidently say he sees the game at a higher level than many of his peers. Will he ever be a dominating two-way force? It’s unlikely, but a future as a top-four, puck-moving defenseman with an offensive bent isn’t out of the question. He’ll just need to get into more high-pressure defensive situations and gain as much confidence and fearlessness in his own end as he has when he’s attacking. - EH

3 - Ben Meyers C

After a highly successful three-year career at the University of Minnesota, center Ben Meyers was the big prize of the 2022 NCAA free agent signing cycle. Meyers, who went undrafted despite two promising seasons as an overager in the USHL, was a centerpiece player at a top NCAA program, even captaining the Gophers as a senior. Meyers’ highly productive senior season earned him caps for the United States men’s teams at the Beijing Olympics and IIHF World Championships. Meyers got into five NHL games with the Avalanche and managed to score his first NHL goal. Meyers has been a past-first center for most of his college career, although he did show off better goal-scoring touch in his final season as a Gopher. As a five-foot-eleven center, Meyers doesn’t offer the prototypical size many in the NHL look for out of their pivots, but he has the offensive flair to make up for it. Meyers’ toolset as a chance creator was on display for all to see last season, and it’s good enough to give him upside as a secondary scorer in the NHL. Meyers’ defense isn’t where he’ll carve out his niche, but that isn’t without trying. Meyers has a solid work ethic, but whether he can stick as a center in the NHL won’t be up to how hard he works, but instead how well he can match up against the high-end scoring centers he’ll face in the NHL. If Meyers spends next season in the NHL, he’ll be a 24-year-old rookie, meaning much of his development has already been completed. If he’s close to a finished product, the package of skills he currently puts forth is likely good enough to give him a chance as a middle-of-the-lineup player who can complement more talented offensive teammates in a pinch. - EH

4 - Oskar Olausson RW

The 28th overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft, Oskar Olausson has had quite the journey since being drafted, but has been able to find success and produce wherever he plays. During the 2020-2021 season, Olausson spent time in three different leagues and was able to adapt well and still find a way to produce. Olausson spent 16 games in the J20 league finishing with 27 points (14G,13A), 16 games in the SHL and finishing with 4 points (3G,1A), and also 11 games in the HockeyAllsvenskan where he finished with 6 points (3G,3A). Olausson also got the opportunity to play in the U20 World Junior Championship. During the 2021-2022 season, Olausson spent time split between both the Barrie Colts and Oshawa Generals, finishing with 49 points (26G,23A) in 55 games, which was 4th on the team for points and 3rd on the team for goals. Olausson’s best assets are his shot and hockey sense. Olausson’s shot is a threat from most areas on the ice, but his ability to fire a cannon of a one-timer is where he’s best. He gets a lot of power and control on his shots, and he understands how to get the most out of it. He also has a great understanding of what he’s good at and knowing how to maximize his strengths. He shows a great understanding of awareness in the offensive zone, knowing where and when to get into open space for a shot, reading the play very well. Going into the 2022-2023 season, Olausson will make his return to the AHL and look to take a step forward and become a scoring threat in the league. - DK

5 - Martin Kaut RW

The clock feels like it’s ticking quickly for Colorado’s 2018 1^st round pick. Having gone 16^th overall that year, the Czech-born Kaut seemed to be on the fast track to making an organizational impact when he immediately jumped to North America and put in a solid rookie season in the AHL accompanied by a nice WJC performance in the 18-19 season. This came on the heels of having spent his draft year playing in Czechia’s top men’s league. His development continued in an upward trajectory in the shortened 19-20 season, where he got into nine NHL games, scoring his first two goals while his AHL stats improved slightly. Expectations were that he’d be prime candidate for an NHL spot during the 20-21 season, which ultimately saw him spend time on the taxi squad as well as the AHL, Czech Republic, and Sweden, featuring decent stats in each of the latter three stations. The 21-22 season presented a new challenge as Kaut went down with a shoulder injury in November. Finally, having picked up the pace a bit in the skating department, the injury threw him back a month after he had gotten into six straight games with the Avalanche, something that didn’t happen again for the rest of the season. A healthy playoff contributor for the AHL squad (five points and +7 in nine games), Kaut’s regular season PPG pace dropped from the season before, even if he did put up a career-high 19 goals. The task at hand is to now crack the line-up of a Stanley Cup winner. In this final year of his ELC, he may benefit from the team’s loss of players such as Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky, but any way you put it, he’s staring at a make-or-break-it season. - CL

6 - Nikolai Kovalenko RW

Nikolai Kovalenko seems to be one of the most likable Russian prospects, yet at the same time one of the most unluckiest of them: while the 2020-21 season had gone totally awry because he found himself in the coach’s doghouse and had to change teams in the offseason, last season, after a solid start, practically ended for him in October after a bad collision with an opposing player, which resulted in a major concussion, sideling him for two months. Once he returned, he just wasn’t the same player. As a consequence, this offseason his team decided that he wouldn’t be as helpful to them as they sought and so they traded him away, this time to Torpedo, which is a rather mediocre team coached by a former NHLer Igor Larionov. On the bright side, the move likely means that Kovalenko is expected to be among the leaders for his new team, possibly even wearing the ‘C’. Upon arrival to Torpedo, Kovalenko extended his contract through the 2023/24 season, which might be not something the Avalanche fans would like, but makes sense for the player, as the main goal for the coming season is both modest and important – to prove that the concussion didn’t ruin his potential. If he succeeds in achieving that goal his hard-working, tenacious, yet still creative playing style can result in a middle-six winger role in the NHL, just maybe a bit later than initially expected. - VF

7 - Justus Annunen G

A hulking 6’4”, 210 lbs., Annunen has been Colorado’s heir apparent for several years now and is coming off his most promising overall season since he was drafted. While his 24-13-5 record for the AHL Colorado Eagles couldn’t hide his 3.01 GAA and .893 save percentage, he picked things up in the playoffs with a 2.46 GAA and .923 save percentage, his best numbers since jumping over to North America. Annunen’s AHL performance earned him a two-game audition with the Avalanche, in which he registered a win and an overtime loss despite mediocre performances. The very athletic Annunen showed improvement to some degree in all departments requiring refinement, such as his movement from post-to-post. He also improved on his already strong puck-tracking abilities. Adept at using his incredible size to stay square to shooters, he continues to show a heavy tendency to spend time on his knees once a shot has been fired and until the whistle blows, even when hugging the post, leaving a hole for shots between his helmet and the crossbar. With the Colorado crease looking like a game of musical chairs in recent seasons, this might be the year Annunen gets a real shot with the reigning champion, especially as the team will kick things off this season with two goalies who have primarily been back-ups thus far in their careers. – CL

8 - Jean-Luc Foudy C

Things haven’t been extremely easy for Foudy the last two seasons. The dynamic skating forward was thrust into the AHL earlier than he was ready due to the cancellation of the 2020-21 OHL season, then continued in the AHL this year, even though he was eligible to return to the OHL. Was this best for his development? You could certainly argue that returning to a strong team in Windsor (who would win the OHL’s Western Conference title) would have been better for his development. Instead, he continued to struggle with consistency, posting a similar point per game average to the year prior. Foudy, much like his brother Liam, is a truly electric skater. He is lightning quick and he can drive play with his feet unlike many at any level. However, it is the rest of his game that remains a work in progress. That includes his play away from the puck, his decision making with it, his strength on the puck and his ability to play through the middle of the ice. However, it is easy to forget how young Foudy is. Under normal circumstances he would be entering into his first AHL season next year. Instead, the 20-year-old will be starting his third. In this year’s AHL playoffs, he was one of Colorado’s best players and that bodes well for the coming year, where he hopefully takes that next step forward and puts himself in contention for a call-up to the Avalanche. - BO

9 - Matthew Stienburg C

A bit of a late bloomer physically, Stienburg suffered through osteomyelitis as a teenager. As such, he’s taken a longer route to relevance as an NHL prospect. First it was St. Andrew’s College, then Cornell, then a year off with the Ivy League not playing during the pandemic. Stienburg returned with a vengeance this past season, leading Cornell in scoring. The power center plays a game tailored for a future bottom six role with the Avalanche. He competes physically. He uses his size to drive the net and dominate near the crease. He plays a 200-foot game. The key for him will be the continued development of his skating. Stienburg will return to Cornell again in 2022-23 and he should continue to be one of the better players in the Ivy League. After that, he would be likely to turn pro in a fairly shallow Colorado system, although returning to Cornell again in 2023-24 is absolutely not out of the question. Logan O’Connor, a similar kind of player, moved very quickly through the system to take on a permanent role with the Avalanche and if all goes according to plan, Stienburg could do the same. - BO

10 - Danila Zhuravlyoy D

Drafted in the fifth round in 2018, Colorado has been very patient with Danila Zhuravylov’s development as he has worked his way up to KHL regular. While his offensive development has been limited, he has become a strong defensive presence in Russia and as such, the Avalanche opted to sign him and bring him into the fold this year. Zhuravylov’s best quality is his mobility. He is not a big defender by any means, but he is effective defensively because of how quick he is to close gaps and how effective he is at defending pace. More of a positional, stick on puck defender, Zhuravylov can play that steady defensive first game, perhaps partnering with a more offensively oriented defender. That said, the KHL can sometimes hide the offensive talents of young defenders and if he can gain confidence in his play with the puck and ability to use his skating ability to be a puck carrier, perhaps Zhuravylov does have two-way upside. As is, he looks like a potential third pairing defender who can handle penalty killing assignments and be a steady, yet unspectacular presence. More will be known about his NHL upside and the likelihood of reaching it after his season with Colorado of the AHL this year. - BO

11 -Sampo Ranta

A speedy winger with size, Ranta was a major disappointment in his first full pro season. It is starting to look like his NHL upside might be capped.

12 - Mikhail Maltsev

Acquired from New Jersey in the Ryan Graves deal, Maltsev is a big winger with some skill who is close to being ready to take on a full-time role in the NHL with the Avalanche.

13 - Ivan Zhigalov

The big Belarussian netminder was one of our highest ranked goaltenders for the draft this year. He is athletic, but very raw. Zhigalov will play in Kingston of the OHL this year after spending last year in the QMJHL.

14 - Colby Ambrosio

An undersized, but skilled center, Ambrosio plays for Boston College. He is entering his junior season and will be looking to improve his production by becoming better off the puck and stronger on it.

15 - Tyler Weiss

Is Weiss even still Colorado property? Remains to be seen. He could return to UNO for another year (because of the pandemic), which would extend the Avalanche’s rights to him. Weiss is a skilled forward with an attacking mentality.

16 - Andrei Buyalsky

Buyalsky’s freshman season at Vermont was almost entirely wiped out by injury. The highly skilled forward will look to get his development back on track as a sophomore this year.

17 - Alex Beaucage

Beaucage, a big winger with a big shot, struggled in his first taste of pro hockey last season. Adapting to the increased pace of play was an issue for him. A rebound season in his second year would really help the Colorado system.

18 - Shane Bowers

A former first round selection by Ottawa, Bowers was a key piece in the Matt Duchene deal several moons ago. Thus far he has yet to look like an NHL player at the AHL level and now will need to clear waivers to be sent to the Eagles.

19 - Wyatt Aamodt

A dependable, stay at home defender, Aamodt was signed by the Avalanche this offseason after four years at Minnesota State University.

20 - Callahan Burke

The former University of Notre Dame captain was originally playing in Colorado (AHL) on a minor league deal, but the Avs scooped him up halfway through this year, signing him to an ELC. A solid energy player and penalty killer, Burke could one day become a Logan O’Connor type.

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: COLORADO AVALANCHE – RANK: #13 – TIER III

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 15:37:49 +0000

Colorado Avalanche

#13 Colorado - More like Arizona than Philadelphia, Colorado's system has a great high end, featuring two elite-level prospects in Byram and Newhook, but the talent level drops off from there, and drops even harder after 11.

ST. PAUL, MN - JANUARY 31: Colorado Avalanche Defenceman Bowen Byram (4) skates with the puck during an NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and the Colorado Avalanche on January 31, 2021, at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)

Bowen Byram - D

Byram captained the Canadian WJC team to silver in December, before making his NHL debut with the Avalanche, getting into 19 games. He acquitted himself well at the pro level, posting just two points but with solid underlying numbers on a deep Colorado lineup, despite nagging injuries along the way.

A shifty skater with great feet mechanics, Byram changes direction well and is a threat rushing the puck up ice, in addition to being difficult to beat one-on-one due to a good understanding of gaps and excellent closing speed. He thinks and anticipates the game well, exuding the calm demeanor of a player that never seems to be in trouble regardless of the situation. Unafraid of jumping up in the offensive zone, Byram can even be found around or behind the opposition net as the opportunity presents itself, but he doesn’t take unnecessary risks and does well to get his shot through traffic, making the safe play when the shooting lane isn’t there. His offensive game may develop slower in the NHL as the Avalanche have Cale Makar and Devon Toews carrying the mail in that category, and powerplay time could be hard to come by for Byram. His offseason training focused on improving his skating even further, and 2021-22 could be another big step forward in development for the former 4^th overall pick. - AS

Alex Newhook - C

Among the most NHL-ready prospects in the sport, Newhook simply keeps getting better, no matter where he plays. He was spectacular in a short season with Boston College. He was awesome for Team Canada at the WJC. After his collegiate season ended, he signed a pro contract and proved that he was already too good for the AHL, with nine points in eight games at the level. And then he moved up to the NHL, where he more than held his own in the NHL, playing 10-15 minutes per game at the end of the regular season, before being reduced to six-nine minutes per game in the postseason for the Avs.

A fantastic skater with both the edgework and the speed to make defenders miss, his hands are just as fast, picking up any slack when his feet alone aren’t enough. And both of those tools play up thanks to his ability to read the defenses, allowing him to find their weak spots, not relying only on his physical tools. For all intents and purposes, Newhook looks like a top six lock in the near future. If there is any concern at all in his profile, it is his lack of a physical impact minimizing his options for contributing if he isn’t creating or finishing scoring chances. Newhook is ready for the NHL. - RW

3. Justin Barron - D

Barron returned to Halifax this season with the title of captain. He had a terrific season with the Mooseheads, progressing extremely well as an NHL prospect. There was a confidence and a calmness to his game (especially with the puck) that he had not previously shown consistently. He also had a short run in the AHL with seven regular season games (one goal and four assists) and two playoff games where he finished with one goal and two assists.

He continues to base his game on his strengths, including his excellent skating and mobility. He remains a player who excels in transition and carrying the puck. Due to the steps forward that he has taken, the Avalanche have to have more and more confidence that he will become a great defenseman in the NHL. His game is adapted for current NHL hockey. After adding Ryan Murray to the fold on the main Colorado roster, the Avalanche top six appears set heading into the year. That means Barron is destined to play this season in the AHL, which will allow him to build up confidence in his offensive game at the pro level. - BB

Oskar Olausson - RW

As with many of this year’s better Swedish prospects, Olausson was given limited minutes playing in men’s hockey, especially after Sweden shut down all junior leagues. Before then, the rangy winger was absolutely crushing it for HV 71’s U20 team, outproducing all draft eligible players in the league, with only Detroit prospect Theodor Neiderbach outproducing him on a per-game basis. He did not receive nearly as much ice time the rest of the way, whether he was playing for HV 71’s men’ team in the SHL, Sodertalje, in the Swedish second men’s tier (HockeyAllsvenskan) or in a depth role for Sweden at the WJC. That said, even without that many opportunities, he still managed to score three goals at each men’s level, showing what kind of role he is comfortable playing right now, and hinting at what his collection of abilities portends for his near-time and long-term future.

The three strengths to Olausson’s game are his skating ability, shooting ability, and his off-puck play. He possesses excellent top speed that puts a lot of pressure on defenders. His wrist shot can find twine from anywhere in the home plate area. He releases it very quickly, with a lot of power and strong placement. He is also a committed two-way player who uses his size and speed to his advantage. Ultimately, the concern is just how strong his creativity and puck skill are, which could, of course, hinder his potential. Olausson has signed with Colorado already and intends to play in North America this year with Barrie of the OHL. His 2021 season should give us a better indication of his high-end offensive upside. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Justus Annunen - G

For the second straight season Annunen split time with former Red Wings prospect Patrik Rybar in Karpat, only this past season saw a real dip in his performance. The 2019/20 season was a breakout one for the Finnish netminder. He posted the best save percentage in Liiga and he performed well for Finland at the World Juniors as a starter. However, this past season he was badly outplayed by Rybar and took a step backwards in his development.

Scheduled to play full time in the AHL this season, his first full year in North America, Annunen will look to get his game back on track. One bad season should not be enough to cancel out the impressive ones previously. The 6’4, 210 lbs netminder is great at finding pucks through traffic and he can play a little more aggressively than your average larger goaltender because he also possesses plus athleticism. Annunen simply needs to focus on tracking the play better East/West and to refine some of his more technical movements to become more consistent. The Avalanche do have a bit of a logjam at the pro level right now in net, but they will obviously find playing time with the Eagles for their potential star prospect. - BO

Sampo Ranta - LW

Not many players make their NHL debuts in the postseason like Ranta did last season. Cale Makar was one notable recent example. Ranta is not likely to follow in those exemplary footsteps, however he is worth paying attention to. If you like wingers who can play at an incredibly high pace and put the puck in the net at a healthy clip as well, this is the player for you. If those two elements weren’t enough, then further note that he has plus size, is reliable off the puck at even strength as well as on the PK and can demonstrate some razzle dazzle with the puck as well.

On the other hand, Ranta isn’t a perfect prospect. If he was, he would rank higher here. At his best, he flashes elite ability, and you wonder how he is ever stopped. The rest of the time, you are wondering where he is. This inconsistency has plagued him going back to his pre-draft seasons with Sioux City in the USHL. Hopefully he can straighten this out as a pro so that he does not consistently rely on his teammates to pick up the slack when he is going through dry spells. Another season in the AHL won’t do him any harm. - RW

Martin Kaut - RW

The development of former first round selection (in 2018) Martin Kaut has probably been slower than the Avalanche organization would have liked or anticipated. The Czech forward jumped right to the AHL after being drafted, playing in the AHL as an 18/19-year-old. While his production at that age was adequate, his lack of improvement in his sophomore year was somewhat concerning, even if it did include him scoring his first NHL goal. Last season, Kaut bounced between four different teams because of the pandemic, however, did manage to finally inch closer to the point per game mark in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles.

Still exempt from waivers (despite three pro seasons) due to the young age that he signed at (and played at the AHL level at), Kaut is still not a lock to make the Avalanche roster this season. His two-way approach and strong complementary skill set does make him a versatile winger. He can find his way to the net, supports well along the wall, and makes reliable decisions with the puck. However, his speed and skating ability have never developed past being average and it would appear that will limit his NHL potential to being more of a quality third line winger. - BO

Shane Bowers - C

The ticking of the clock on Bowers’ potential as a future NHL’er is getting louder and louder. The former first round pick of the Ottawa Senators, traded to the Avs as part of the return for Matt Duchene, Bowers spent only two years developing with Boston University before turning pro, and it is looking more and more like he (and Colorado) jumped the gun on his professional career before he was ready. Even in his draft year, his upside was seen as a middle six center, perhaps with the ability to kill penalties. This projection was based on his big, strong frame, smooth skating that allowed him to eat up the ice in a few strokes, and a style that fit a North-South game. Without ever blowing up the scoresheets, he still looked like an NHL’er.

There was hope that more offense would come, but four years have passed, and we have less reason to keep waiting. His production over two years in college was fine, albeit unspectacular. His first AHL campaign was more of the same, but last season, admittedly an abbreviated one, his production fell off a cliff, with only nine points in 28 games. With one year remaining on his entry level deal, the time is now for Bowers to force his way into Colorado’s future plans. The team has solid depth down the middle, and more of the same from Bowers won’t earn him an NHL debut. There are still some raw tools lurking within, but it is time for them to come out and play. - RW

Jean-Luc Foudy - C

Foudy was among the OHL players granted the exemption to play in the AHL due to the cancelled OHL season. Playing a full season, he managed to finish with 14 points in 34 games, while contributing on the power play. He had moments where he displayed great skill and flash, scoring two highlight goals. Foudy used his elite skating to his advantage many times, creating space and separation from opponents. He’s able to move so quickly and make such agile turns on his edges that he rarely loses speed, being able to draw penalties. He used his vision efficiently to find teammates in traffic to keep plays alive, but there were some consistency issues, where at times, simple passes just weren’t connecting. As such, he will need to continue working on his passing accuracy. Also, there were moments where he would over-handle the puck, lose possession or even find his way skating into danger.

Throughout the season, Foudy showed glimpses of great confidence with the puck, being able to break out in transition and control offensive zone entries, but he will need to continue to become more consistent. He projects as a useful middle six center, who can use his great speed and skating ability each shift. With Foudy playing over 20 games in the AHL he has the exemption to play in the league again next year, but it seems more likely that the best path for Foudy would be to return to the OHL for his confidence, playing top minutes on a competitive Spitfires team. - DK

Drew Helleson - D

A big blueliner with a right-handed shot, until this year Helleson was seen as more of a low-upside, stay-at-home type, better at breaking plays up than creating them. No longer. The switch began with his performance for Team USA at the WJC, where his four points were at least three more than were expected given his historical track record of production. Helleson skates very well for his size, and that showed this year in his new-found willingness to jump up into the rush, giving the opposing defenses something extra to think about. His offensive tools are just OK, but he seemed to show a knack for timing his ‘on-switch’ well, catching the defenses by surprise and maximizing the impact of his approach.

The offensive dalliances continued after he returned to Boston College as well, with production levels 250% greater than his freshman production. That said, the offensive impact did not come at the expense of his defensive game, for which he was named the top defensive defenseman in Hockey East last year. If what Helleson showed last year was for real, and not merely a flash in the pan, his projection will not only rise from the #4/5 he looked like with the USNTDP, but the Avalanche defensive pipeline will go from an organizational strength to a juggernaut. More will be known after his junior season. - RW

Sean Behrens - D

A standout with the U.S. U18 team last season, Behrens was a second-round pick by the Avs in 2021. The stocky blueliner has great mobility and a nonstop motor. He will likely take on a large role with the University of Denver this year as a freshman.

Alex Beaucage - RW

2020/21 was a very successful season for Beaucage, a 2019 third round selection. After a deadline move to Victoriaville, Beaucage led the QMJHL postseason in scoring and led the Tigres to a championship. He will turn pro this year and play in the AHL.

Nikolai Kovalenko - RW

The son of former NHL’er Andrei, Nikolai is a bull on his skates and blends power and skill despite being only 5’10. After a bit of a step back in the KHL this past season, Nikolai has moved to Ak Bars Kazan for this year, where he can hopefully get more playing time this season.

Danila Zhuravlyov - D

Already with Ak Bars, Zhuravlyov will be a teammate of Kovalenko next year. The two-way defender is coming off of his best KHL season yet and will continue his development in Russia again next year.

Colby Ambrosio - C

A fourth-round pick by Colorado in 2020, Ambrosio is coming off of a decent freshman season with Boston College last season. Ambrosio is extremely dangerous in transition with his puck skill and speed; however, he will need to continue to round out other parts of his game to be an impact player at the next level.

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Top 300 Prospect Rankings

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 17:09:56 +0000

These are our final prospect ranking prior to the start of the season. As a subscriber you can download the list in an excel chart and can link to the player pages in the chart found here. As always, the rankings you see below are based on our 20-80 scouting system looking at five categories for skaters (Skating, Shot, Puck Skills, Hockey Smarts, Physicality) and six for netminders (Athleticism/Quickness/Speed, Compete/Temperament, Vision/Play Reading, Technique/Style, Rebound Control, Puck Handling). Our prospect team spent large portions of their last few months pre-COVID in the rinks, watching the players below and many others, and further work on video (Instat Hockey has been a terrific resource in recent days) before passing judgement on their future projections.

The 20-80 scouting system is meant to allow players from different leagues in different parts of the world to be compared to one another, such that grades on a player in the OHL can be directly compared to grades from an AHL player, and to grades of someone playing in the MHL.

PROSPECT CRITERIA

Players under 26 years of age as of the September 15th prior (Sep. 15, 1994) to the season in question who have appeared in less than 60 NHL games (30 for goalies) and less than 35 in any one season – or 25 last year (20 for goalies, 15 last season) are considered prospects

RANK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	ACQUIRED
1	Alexis Lafreniere	NYR	LW	19	6-1/195	`20(1st)
2	Tim Stutzle	Ott	C	18	6-1/185	`20(3rd)
3	Quinton Byfield	LA	C	18	6-4/215	`20(2nd)
4	Trevor Zegras	Ana	C	19	6-0/170	`19(9th)
5	Kirill Kaprizov	Min	LW	23	5-10/200	`15(135th)
6	Lucas Raymond	Det	LW	18	5-11/170	`20(4th)
7	Dylan Cozens	Buf	C	19	6-3/185	`19(7th)
8	Bowen Byram	Col	D	19	6-0/195	`19(4th)
9	Peyton Krebs	VGK	C	19	5-11/180	`19(17th)
10	Jake Sanderson	Ott	D	18	6-1/185	`20(5th)
11	Moritz Seider	Det	D	19	6-3/185	`19(6th)
12	Jamie Drysdale	Ana	D	18	5-11/175	`20(6th)
13	Igor Shesterkin	NYR	G	25	6-1/190	`14(118th)
14	Alexander Holtz	NJ	RW	18	6-0/190	`20(7th)
15	Cole Perfetti	Wpg	LW	19	5-10/180	`20(10th)
16	Marco Rossi	Min	C	19	5-9/185	`20(9th)
17	Vasili Podkolzin	Van	RW	19	6-1/190	`19(10th)
18	Victor Soderstrom	Ari	D	19	5-11/180	`19(11th)
19	Nick Robertson	Tor	LW	19	5-9/160	`19(53rd)
20	Cole Caufield	Mtl	RW	19	5-7/165	`19(15th)
21	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	18	6-3/175	`20(11th)
22	Spencer Knight	Fla	G	19	6-3/195	`19(13th)
23	Philip Broberg	Edm	D	19	6-3/200	`19(8th)
24	Jack Quinn	Buf	RW	19	6-0/180	`20(8th)
25	Matthew Boldy	Min	LW	19	6-1/190	`19(12th)
26	Nils Lundkvist	NYR	D	20	5-11/180	`18(28th)
27	Seth Jarvis	Car	RW	18	5-10/175	`20(13th)
28	Ty Smith	NJ	D	20	5-10/180	`18(17th)
29	Grigori Denisenko	Fla	LW	20	5-11/185	`18(15th)
30	Barrett Hayton	Ari	C	20	6-1/190	`18(5th)
31	Alex Newhook	Col	C	19	5-10/195	`19(16th)
32	Thomas Harley	Dal	D	19	6-3/190	`19(18th)
33	Alex Turcotte	LA	C	19	5-11/185	`19(5th)
34	Vitali Kravtsov	NYR	RW	21	6-3/185	`18(9th)
35	Philip Tomasino	Nsh	C	19	5-11/180	`19(24th)
36	Connor McMichael	Wsh	C	19	5-11/175	`19(25th)
37	Dawson Mercer	NJ	C	19	6-0/180	`20(18th)
38	Ilya Sorokin	NYI	G	25	6-2/180	`14(78th)
39	Gabriel Vilardi	LA	RW	21	6-3/200	`17(11th)
40	Ryan Merkley	SJ	D	20	5-11/170	`18(21st)
41	Alexander Romanov	Mtl	D	20	5-11/185	`18(38th)
42	Kaiden Guhle	Mtl	D	18	6-2/190	`20(16th)
43	Samuel Poulin	Pit	LW	19	6-1/205	`19(21st)
44	K'Andre Miller	NYR	D	20	6-3/205	`18(22nd)
45	Scott Perunovich	StL	D	22	5-10/175	`18(45th)
46	Evan Bouchard	Edm	D	21	6-2/195	`18(10th)
47	Braden Schneider	NYR	D	19	6-2/200	`20(19th)
48	Juuso Valimaki	Cgy	D	22	6-2/205	`17(16th)
49	Cam York	Phi	D	19	5-11/175	`19(14th)
50	Anton Lundell	Fla	C	19	6-1/185	`20(12th)
51	Morgan Frost	Phi	C	21	5-11/180	`17(27th)
52	Owen Tippett	Fla	RW	21	6-1/200	`17(10th)
53	Albert Johansson	Det	D	19	5-11/165	`19(60th)
54	Liam Foudy	CBJ	C	20	6-0/175	`18(18th)
55	Kieffer Bellows	NYI	LW	22	6-0/200	`16(19th)
56	Arthur Kaliyev	LA	RW	19	6-2/190	`19(33rd)
57	Oliver Wahlstrom	NYI	RW	20	6-1/205	`18(11th)
58	Nils Hoglander	Van	RW	20	5-9/185	`19(40th)
59	Matias Maccelli	Ari	LW	20	5-11/170	`19(98th)
60	Tobias Bjornfot	LA	D	19	6-0/200	`19(22nd)
61	Jacob Bernard-Docker	Ott	D	20	6-0/180	`18(26th)
62	Connor Zary	Cgy	C	19	6-0/180	`20(24th)
63	Dominik Bokk	Car	RW	20	6-1/180	T(StL-9/19)
64	Ryan Suzuki	Car	C	19	6-0/180	`19(28th)
65	Dylan Samberg	Wpg	D	21	6-3/190	`17(43rd)
66	Jake Bean	Car	D	22	6-1/175	`16(13th)
67	Josh Norris	Ott	C	21	6-1/195	T(SJ-9/18)
68	Rasmus Kupari	LA	C	20	6-1/185	`18(20th)
69	Jakob Pelletier	Cgy	LW	19	5-9/165	`19(26th)
70	Drake Batherson	Ott	RW	22	6-1/190	`17(121st)
71	Jan Jenik	Ari	RW	20	6-1/180	`18(65th)
72	John-Jason Peterka	Buf	LW	18	5-11/190	`20(34th)
73	Kirill Marchenko	CBJ	LW	20	6-3/190	`18(49th)
74	Bode Wilde	NYI	D	20	6-2/195	`18(41st)
75	John Beecher	Bos	C	19	6-3/210	`19(30th)
76	Tyler Madden	LA	C	21	5-10/155	T(Van-2/20)
77	Jack Studnicka	Bos	C	21	6-1/170	`17(53rd)
78	Jake Oettinger	Dal	G	22	6-4/210	`17(26th)
79	Alex Formenton	Ott	LW	21	6-2/165	`17(47th)
80	Matthew Robertson	NYR	D	19	6-3/200	`19(49th)
81	Calen Addison	Min	D	20	5-10/180	T(Pit-2/20)
82	Ty Dellandrea	Dal	C	20	6-0/185	`18(13th)
83	Akil Thomas	LA	C	20	5-11/170	`18(51st)
84	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	18	5-10/180	`20(30th)
85	Ian Mitchell	Chi	D	21	5-11/175	`17(57th)
86	Jason Robertson	Dal	LW	21	6-2/195	`17(39th)
87	Hendrix Lapierre	Wsh	C	18	5-11/180	`20(22nd)
88	Brendan Brisson	VGK	C	19	5-11/180	`20(29th)
89	Theodor Niederbach	Det	C	18	5-11/175	`20(51st)
90	Zac Jones	NYR	D	20	5-10/175	`19(68th)
91	Robert Mastrosimone	Det	LW	19	5-10/160	`19(54th)
92	Joe Veleno	Det	C	20	6-1/195	`18(30th)
93	Rodion Amirov	Tor	LW	19	6-0/170	`20(15th)
94	Jake Neighbours	StL	LW	18	5-11/195	`20(26th)
95	Julien Gauthier	NYR	RW	23	6-4/225	T(Car-2/20)
96	Justus Annunen	Col	G	20	6-4/215	`18(64th)
97	Egor Zamula	Phi	D	20	6-4/175	FA(9/18)
98	Shane Pinto	Ott	C	20	6-2/190	`19(32nd)
99	Noel Gunler	Car	RW	19	6-2/175	`20(41st)
100	Ridly Greig	Ott	C	18	5-11/165	`20(28th)
101	Jesse Ylonen	Mtl	RW	21	6-1/185	`18(35th)
102	Samuel Fagemo	LA	RW	20	6-0/195	`19(50th)
103	Mattias Norlinder	Mtl	D	20	5-11/180	`19(64th)
104	Olli Juolevi	Van	D	22	6-3/200	`16(5th)
105	Kristian Vesalainen	Wpg	LW	21	6-3/205	`17(24th)
106	Raphael Lavoie	Edm	RW	20	6-4/195	`19(38th)
107	Jan Mysak	Mtl	C	18	5-11/180	`20(49th)
108	Cayden Primeau	Mtl	G	21	6-3/180	`17(199th)
109	Pavel Dorofeyev	VGK	LW	20	6-1/170	`19(79th)
110	Morgan Barron	NYR	C	22	6-2/200	`17(174th)
111	Ville Heinola	Wpg	D	19	5-11/180	`19(20th)
112	Dylan Holloway	Edm	C	19	6-0/205	`20(14th)
113	Jack Dugan	VGK	RW	22	6-2/185	`17(142nd)
114	Alexander Khovanov	Min	C	20	5-11/195	`18(86th)
115	Jacob Perreault	Ana	RW	18	5-11/195	`20(27th)
116	Jake Evans	Mtl	C	24	6-0/185	`14(207th)
117	Adam Beckman	Min	LW	19	6-1/170	`19(75th)
118	Jett Woo	Van	D	20	6-0/205	`18(37th)
119	Nolan Foote	NJ	LW	20	6-3/190	T(TB-2/20)
120	Logan Brown	Ott	C	22	6-6/220	`16(11th)
121	Martin Kaut	Col	RW	21	6-1/175	`18(16th)
122	Jack Rathbone	Van	D	21	5-10/175	`17(95th)
123	Ozzy Wiesblatt	SJ	RW	18	5-10/185	`20(31st)
124	Ryan O'Rourke	Min	D	18	6-0/180	`20(39th)
125	Lukas Reichel	Chi	LW	18	6-0/170	`20(17th)
126	Jordan Harris	Mtl	D	20	5-11/180	`18(71st)
127	Lukas Dostal	Ana	G	20	6-1/170	`18(85th)
128	Egor Afanasyev	Nsh	RW	19	6-3/205	`19(45th)
129	Conor Timmins	Col	D	22	6-1/185	`17(32nd)
130	Lassi Thomson	Ott	D	20	6-0/190	`19(19th)
131	Eeli Tolvanen	Nsh	RW	21	5-10/175	`17(30th)
132	Kasper Simontaival	LA	RW	18	5-9/180	`20(66th)
133	Roni Hirvonen	Tor	C	18	5-9/165	`20(59th)
134	Thomas Bordeleau	SJ	C	18	5-9/180	`20(38th)
135	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	Ana	C	20	6-1/195	`18(54th)
136	Tyler Kleven	Ott	D	18	6-4/200	`20(44th)
137	Tyson Foerster	Phi	C	18	6-1/195	`20(23rd)
138	Helge Grans	LA	D	18	6-2/205	`20(35th)
139	Jonathan Dahlen	SJ	LW	23	5-11/185	T(Van-2/19)
140	Marat Khusnutdinov	Min	C	18	5-11/175	`20(37th)
141	Alexander Alexeyev	Wsh	D	21	6-3/200	`18(31st)
142	Pierre-Olivier Joseph	Pit	D	21	6-2/170	`17(23rd)
143	Topi Niemela	Tor	D	18	5-10/160	`20(64th)
144	Oskari Laaksonen	Buf	D	21	6-2/165	`17(89th)
145	Filip Hallander	Tor	LW	20	6-1/185	T(Pit-8/20)
146	Serron Noel	Fla	RW	20	6-5/205	`18(34th)
147	Martin Chromiak	LA	LW	18	6-0/185	`20(128th)
148	Shakir Mukhamadullin	NJ	D	18	6-3/180	`20(20th)
149	Mattias Samuelsson	Buf	D	20	6-3/215	`18(32nd)
150	Janne Kuokkanen	NJ	LW	22	6-1/190	T(Car-2/20)
151	Ryan Johnson	Buf	D	19	6-0/175	`19(31st)
152	Sean Farrell	Mtl	C	19	5-8/175	`20(124th)
153	Martin Fehervary	Wsh	D	21	6-1/190	`18(46th)
154	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	Buf	G	21	6-4/195	`17(54th)
155	Will Lockwood	Van	RW	22	5-11/175	`16(64th)
156	Isac Lundestrom	Ana	C	21	6-0/185	`18(23rd)
157	Michael DiPietro	Van	G	21	6-0/195	`17(64th)
158	Jonatan Berggren	Det	RW	20	5-10/185	`18(33rd)
159	Kevin Bahl	NJ	D	20	6-6/230	T(Ari-12/19)
160	Aliaksei Protas	Wsh	C	19	6-5/205	`19(91st)
161	Reilly Walsh	NJ	D	21	5-11/180	`17(81st)
162	Nick Abruzzese	Tor	C	21	5-9/160	`19(124th)
163	Tyler Tucker	StL	D	20	6-1/205	`18(200th)
164	Arseni Gritsyuk	NJ	RW	19	5-10/170	`19(129th)
165	Klim Kostin	StL	C	21	6-3/195	`17(31st)
166	Brayden Tracey	Ana	LW	19	6-0/175	`19(29th)
167	Joel Hofer	StL	G	20	6-3/160	`18(107th)
168	Joey Anderson	Tor	RW	22	6-0/195	T(NJ-10/20)
169	Yegor Spiridonov	SJ	C	19	6-2/195	`19(108th)
170	Sam Colangelo	Ana	RW	19	6-1/205	`20(36th)
171	Joey Keane	Car	D	21	6-0/185	T(NYR-2/20)
172	Jared McIsaac	Det	D	20	6-1/195	`18(36th)
173	Jamieson Rees	Car	C	19	5-10/175	`19(44th)
174	Ivan Morozov	VGK	C	20	6-1/180	`18(61st)
175	Rem Pitlick	Nsh	C	23	5-11/200	`16(76th)
176	Tyce Thompson	NJ	RW	21	6-0/170	`19(96th)
177	Michael McLeod	NJ	C	22	6-2/195	`16(12th)
178	Jaret Anderson-Dolan	LA	C	21	5-11/190	`17(41st)
179	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	19	6-0/165	`19(214th)
180	Antti Tuomisto	Det	D	19	6-4/190	`19(35th)
181	Brett Berard	NYR	LW	18	5-9/155	`20(134th)
182	Luke Evangelista	Nsh	RW	18	5-11/170	`20(42nd)
183	Joel Blomqvist	Pit	G	18	6-1/180	`20(52nd)
184	Joni Ikonen	Mtl	C	21	5-10/170	`17(58th)
185	Olivier Rodrigue	Edm	G	20	6-1/165	`18(62nd)
186	Lucas Elvenes	VGK	RW	21	6-0/175	`17(127th)
187	Anthony Angello	Pit	RW	24	6-5/205	`14(145th)
188	Tuukka Tieksola	Car	RW	19	5-10/160	`19(121st)
189	Declan Chisholm	Wpg	D	20	6-1/190	`18(150th)
190	Cole Koepke	TB	LW	22	6-1/195	`18(183rd)
191	Valtteri Puustinen	Pit	RW	21	5-9/185	`19(203rd)
192	Ty Smilanic	Fla	C	18	6-1/175	`20(74th)
193	Patrik Puistola	Car	LW	19	6-0/175	`19(73rd)
194	Justin Barron	Col	D	19	6-2/190	`20(25th)
195	Andrew Peeke	CBJ	D	22	6-3/210	`16(34th)
196	Michael Vukojevic	NJ	D	19	6-3/210	`19(82nd)
197	Alec Regula	Chi	D	20	6-3/200	T(Det-10/19)
198	Connor Corcoran	VGK	D	20	6-1/185	`18(154th)
199	Jeremy Swayman	Bos	G	22	6-1/190	`17(111th)
200	Pyotr Kochetkov	Car	G	21	6-1/175	`19(36th)
201	Mikey Anderson	LA	D	21	6-0/195	`17(103rd)
202	Carter Savoie	Edm	LW	18	5-9/190	`20(100th)
203	Samuel Walker	TB	C	21	5-11/160	`17(200th)
204	William Wallinder	Det	D	18	6-4/190	`20(32nd)
205	Jack Drury	Car	C	20	5-11/180	`18(42nd)
206	Emil Andrae	Phi	D	18	5-9/185	`20(54th)
207	Cal Petersen	LA	G	26	6-3/190	FA(7/17)
208	Jeremie Poirier	Cgy	D	18	6-0/200	`20(72nd)
209	Tarmo Reunanen	NYR	D	22	6-0/180	`16(98th)
210	Simon Holmstrom	NYI	RW	19	6-1/185	`19(23rd)
211	Aleksi Saarela	Fla	RW	23	5-11/200	T(Chi-10/19)
212	Anton Johannesson	Wpg	D	18	5-9/155	`20(133rd)
213	Lauri Pajuniemi	NYR	RW	21	6-0/185	`18(132nd)
214	Morgan Geekie	Car	C	22	6-2/180	`17(67th)
215	Shane Bowers	Col	C	21	6-2/190	T(Ott-11/17)
216	Sasha Chmelevski	SJ	C	21	5-11/190	`17(185th)
217	Ruslan Iskhakov	NYI	C	20	5-8/155	`18(43rd)
218	Cole Schwindt	Fla	RW	19	6-2/185	`19(81st)
219	Hugo Alnefelt	TB	G	19	6-3/195	`19(71st)
220	Nikita Okhotyuk	NJ	D	20	6-1/195	`19(61st)
221	Sampo Ranta	Col	LW	20	6-2/205	`18(78th)
222	Alexander Volkov	TB	LW	23	6-1/190	`17(48th)
223	Alexander True	SJ	C	23	6-5/205	FA(7/18)
224	John Leonard	SJ	C	22	5-11/190	`18(182nd)
225	Carl Grundstrom	LA	LW	23	6-0/195	T(Tor-1/19)
226	Dmitri Semykin	TB	D	20	6-3/200	`18(90th)
227	Cal Foote	TB	D	22	6-4/215	`17(14th)
228	Jean-Luc Foudy	Col	C	18	5-11/175	`20(75th)
229	Alex Barre-Boulet	TB	C	23	5-10/165	FA(3/18)
230	Tristen Robins	SJ	RW	19	5-10/175	`20(56th)
231	Max Gildon	Fla	D	21	6-3/190	`17(66th)
232	Nikita Alexandrov	StL	C	20	6-0/180	`19(62nd)
233	Michael Benning	Fla	D	18	5-9/180	`20(95th)
234	Justin Sourdif	Fla	RW	18	5-11/175	`20(87th)
235	Tanner Laczynski	Phi	C	23	6-1/200	`16(169th)
236	Eamon Powell	TB	D	18	5-11/165	`20(116th)
237	Kaedan Korczak	VGK	D	19	6-3/190	`19(41st)
238	Drew Commesso	Chi	G	18	6-1/180	`20(47th)
239	Nikolai Kovalenko	Col	RW	21	5-10/175	`18(171st)
240	Pius Suter	Chi	C	24	5-11/170	FA(7/20)
241	Wade Allison	Phi	RW	23	6-2/205	`16(52nd)
242	Bobby Brink	Phi	RW	19	5-10/165	`19(34th)
243	Lukas Cormier	VGK	D	18	5-10/180	`20(68th)
244	David Farrance	Nsh	D	21	5-11/190	`17(92nd)
245	Roby Jarventie	Ott	RW	18	6-2/185	`20(33rd)
246	Dmitri Voronkov	CBJ	LW	20	6-4/190	`19(114th)
247	German Rubtsov	Phi	C	22	6-2/190	`16(22nd)
248	Vitaly Abramov	Ott	RW	22	5-9/175	T(CBJ-2/19)
249	Alex Laferriere	LA	RW	19	6-0/175	`20(83rd)
250	Trey Fix-Wolansky	CBJ	RW	21	5-8/185	`18(204th)
251	Isaac Ratcliffe	Phi	LW	21	6-5/200	`17(35th)
252	Kale Clague	LA	D	22	6-0/180	`16(51st)
253	Landon Slaggert	Chi	LW	18	5-11/180	`20(79th)
254	Wyatt Kalynuk	Chi	D	23	6-1/180	FA(7/20)
255	Mikko Kokkonen	Tor	D	19	5-11/200	`19(84th)
256	Kevin Mandolese	Ott	G	20	6-4/180	`18(157th)
257	Daniil Tarasov	CBJ	G	21	6-5/185	`17(86th)
258	Evan Barratt	Chi	C	21	6-0/190	`17(90th)
259	Tyler Benson	Edm	LW	22	6-0/200	`16(32nd)
260	Yegor Korshkov	Tor	RW	24	6-4/215	`16(31st)
261	Hunter Skinner	NYR	D	19	6-2/175	`19(112th)
262	Riley Damiani	Dal	C	20	5-9/165	`18(137th)
263	Ryan McLeod	Edm	C	21	6-2/205	`18(40th)
264	Ilya Konovalov	Edm	G	22	6-0/195	`19(85th)
265	Will Cuylle	NYR	LW	18	6-3/205	`20(60th)
266	Evan Vierling	NYR	C	18	6-0/165	`20(127th)
267	Emil Heineman	Fla	LW	19	6-0/180	`20(43rd)
268	Zayde Wisdom	Phi	RW	18	5-10/195	`20(94th)
269	Hunter Jones	Min	G	20	6-4/195	`19(59th)
270	Ty Tullio	Edm	RW	18	5-10/165	`20(126th)
271	Jordan Spence	LA	D	19	5-10/165	`19(95th)
272	Dmitri Zavgorodny	Cgy	LW	20	5-9/175	`18(198th)
273	Alex Beaucage	Col	RW	19	6-1/195	`19(78th)
274	Matiss Kivlenieks	CBJ	G	24	6-2/190	FA(5/17)
275	Artyom Zub	Ott	D	25	6-2/200	FA(5/20)
276	Urho Vaakanainen	Bos	D	22	6-0/185	`17(18th)
277	Dmitri Samorukov	Edm	D	21	6-2/180	`17(84th)
278	Michal Teply	Chi	LW	19	6-3/185	`19(105th)
279	Colby Ambrosio	Col	C	18	5-8/170	`20(118th)
280	Mads Sogaard	Ott	G	20	6-7/195	`19(37th)
281	Jeremy Lauzon	Bos	D	23	6-3/205	`15(52nd)
282	Dennis Gilbert	Col	D	24	6-2/200	T(Chi-10/20)
283	Trent Frederic	Bos	C	22	6-4/215	`16(29th)
284	Lucas Carlsson	Chi	D	23	6-0/190	`16(110th)
285	Zack Macewen	Van	RW	24	6-3/205	FA(3/17)
286	Brandon Hagel	Chi	LW	22	6-1/175	FA(10/18)
287	Vasily Ponomarev	Car	C	18	5-10/180	`20(53rd)
288	Jakub Zboril	Bos	D	23	6-1/200	`15(13th)
289	Garrett Pilon	Wsh	RW	22	5-11/190	`16(87th)
290	Jeremy Bracco	Car	RW	23	5-9/180	FA(10/20)
291	Dylan Sikura	VGK	RW	25	6-0/170	T(Chi-9/20)
292	Kyle Capobianco	Ari	D	23	6-1/180	`15(63rd)
293	Sami Niku	Wpg	D	24	6-0/175	`15(198th)
294	John Farinacci	Ari	C	19	5-11/185	`19(76th)
295	Jackson Lacombe	Ana	D	19	6-1/170	`19(39th)
296	David Cotton	Car	LW	23	6-3/205	`15(169th)
297	Erik Portillo	Buf	G	20	6-6/210	`19(67th)
298	Jacob Truscott	Van	D	18	6-1/170	`20(144th)
299	Mikhail Berdin	Wpg	G	22	6-2/165	`16(157th)
300	Cam Hillis	Mtl	C	20	5-10/170	`18(66th)

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 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

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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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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)