Colorado Avalanche: Top 8 prospects worth getting excited about
One of the most exciting teams in the NHL right now is the Colorado Avalanche.
The Colorado Avalanche are led by one of the greatest players in the world in Nathan MacKinnon, who by himself is worth the price of admission. However, he isn’t the only great talent they possess, as they have fantastic players in Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, Gabriel Landeskog, and many more.
General manager Joe Sakic has done a brilliant job of building this team, and they should be Stanley Cup contenders for years to come.
What makes them scary for other teams around the league, however, is that on top of already having a terrific roster, they also have some fantastic prospects, a few of which are already very close to being NHL ready. It is a very exciting time to be an Avalanche fan.
As mentioned in these previous top 8 prospects pieces, any player who has played more NHL games in a season than any other league, regardless of the season, will not be included. With that said, here are the Colorado Avalanche’s top 8 prospects…
8. Alex Beaucage
The Colorado Avalanche drafted a very talented player in Alex Beaucage with the 78th overall pick at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. The now 19-year-old forward came into the draft after a fantastic season with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the QMJHL, having posted 39 goals and 79 points in just 68 games played. He also appeared in 16 games that postseason and managed 16 points. The 2019-20 season saw him post very similar numbers with 40 goals and 70 points in 63 games, both of which led his team.
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The QMJHL was the only league in the CHL that started its season in October, meaning he has already been playing for a month. Though its early, he looks like he has taken a big step forward in his development, with eight goals and 13 points in just eight games played. It will be interesting to see how the Trois-Rivieres, Quebec native adjusts to the professional game for the 2021-22 season. If he is able to transition well, he will climb much higher up on this list.
7. Martin Kaut
Some lists going over the Avalanche’s top prospects are much higher on Martin Kaut, but I’m not as optimistic. The 16th overall pick of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft has great skill, but has yet to put it all together. At the time he was drafted, he had just finished his second season in the top professional league in Czech Republic, posting 16 points in 38 games for Pardubice HC. These totals don’t look overly impressive, but it is important to note that he was just 18-years-old playing professional hockey.
In the two seasons since being drafted, he has spent the majority of his time with the Colorado Eagles of the AHL. In a combined 97 games with the Eagles, he has managed 17 goals and 44 points. Of course, he is still playing against much older competition, but the totals just haven’t been there yet. He also appeared in nine games with the Avalanche this past season, scoring one goal and adding two helpers in nine contests. The recently turned 21-year-old will be extremely interesting to keep an eye on for the 2020-21 season. If he is able to produce at a higher rate in the AHL, he will prove that he should have been higher on this list.