Colorado Avalanche: Top 10 prospects entering the 2018 season

6. Shane Bowers, C [19 years old]

Stats (Boston University, NCAA): 40 gp, 17 g, 15 a, 32 p. Boston University, NCAA

Shane Bowers was a first-round pick from the Ottawa Senators last season, a part of the return from the Matt Duchene trade. Maybe that’s why the Colorado Avalanche can afford to have him this low in their prospect list and still be fine and in fact one of the best prospect pools in the NHL. He’s got the fact that he’s a first-round pick going for him, but that’s about it.

Bowers has a high likelihood of being a member of the Colorado Avalanche

It’s hard to tell what his ceiling is right now, but it looks like a third line center. Behind Nathan MacKinnon, the Avalanche don’t have a whole ton. Which means Bowers grading out to a bottom-six forward could potentially be a problem. He’s not one of the best scorers out there, but he did well enough, especially in his Freshman season.

Bowers has a high likelihood of being a member of the Colorado Avalanche, but his ceiling and his NHL readiness (he’s not) hamper his grading. Still, a team wouldn’t spend a first-round pick on a prospect they don’t believe in, and the Avalanche wouldn’t have acquired Bowers (over players like Colin White or Logan Brown) if they didn’t believe in him.