Colorado Avalanche: Top 10 prospects entering the 2018 season
The Colorado Avalanche have one of the best prospect pools in the NHL heading into the 2018 season. Here are the best 10 headliners of an excellent group.
The Colorado Avalanche have one of the best prospect pipelines in the NHL right now. The draft work by the team of scouts and GM Joe Sakic has been exemplary. While the current team doesn’t look so good, the future is bright for Colorado. Behind a young core, that’s an excellent thing.
These prospects are ranked based on three factors – NHL readiness, ceiling, and the chance that they play consistent minutes with the Colorado Avalanche. Ceiling is the most important of these, because while the top prospects aren’t necessarily the most NHL ready, they should shape up to be the best.
Let’s start with the goaltenders.
1. Justus Annunen [18 years old]
Stats (Karpat, Liiga): 26 games played, 2.31 goals against average, .907 save percentage (12 playoff games played, 1.83 GAA, .935 SV%).
Stats (Karpat U20, Jr. A SM-liiga): 1 gp, 4.00 GAA, .892 save percentage.
Justus Annunen was drafted in the third round of the 2018 draft and was thought of as one of the best goaltenders headed into the draft. He’s the highest a goaltender has gone to the Avalanche since 2013. Annunen has a bad history of goaltenders drafted in the first three rounds by the Avs to succeed. The bar has been set low for Annunen, but he should raise it.
The bar has been set low for Annunen, but he should raise it
Annunen did really well in the Jr. A SM-liiga, the top developmental league in Finland. He had a .907 save percentage and 2.31 goals against average. That was tied for 21st in the league and was the fourth best goals-against average. Amongst goaltenders 18 and younger, Annunen had the third-best save percentage and had the best goals-against average.
Annunen didn’t do as well at the professional level, getting just one game in the Liiga and posting a .892 save percentage. He has time, however, and he has a long road ahead of him. His ceiling is what makes him the best goaltender in the Colorado Avalanche’s pipeline, as he could be their future starter.
2. Adam Werner [21 years old]
Stats (IF Bjorkloven, Allsvenskan): 47 gp, 2.34 GAA, .915 save percentage (5 pgp, 2.38 GAA, .902 SV%).
Stats (San Antonio Rampage, AHL): 4 gp, 3.35 GAA, .880 save percentage.
Adam Werner did really well in Sweden’s second league, getting a .915 save percentage in the Allsvenskan in 47 games. That was tied for ninth in the Allsvenskan, and his GAA, a 2.34, was 10th best. He was one of the best goaltenders in one of the best developmental leagues overseas.
With a better season next year, Werner could shape up to be a potential NHL goaltender
Which is why his transition to the AHL going badly was quite shocking. In four games, Werner had just a 3.35 GAA and .880 save percentage. That was with the San Antonio Rampage, however, a team he will not be with next season, and with the Colorado Eagles, in a better position to help him succeed, and with a longer run, Werner could prove to be better than his initial stint.
With a better season this year, Werner could shape up to be a potential NHL goaltender. He likely won’t be the starter the Colorado Avalanche need, at least not long term, but if he’s a good backup in the long run, that’s an important thing.