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.
6. Shane Bowers
One of the biggest pieces the Avalanche received from the Matt Duchene trade was Shane Bowers, who the Ottawa Senators had selected with the 28th overall pick at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. At the time of being drafted, he had just wrapped up his second season in the USHL with the Waterloo Black Hawks where he scored 22 goals and added 29 assists in 60 games. He then went on to play two seasons for Boston University and also suited up for Team Canada at the 2019 World Juniors.
The 2019-20 season was Bowers first as a professional hockey player. The 21-year-old, who was 20 for the entirety of the season, suited up for 48 games with the Eagles, posting 10 goals and 27 points. Those totals are quite impressive for a player of his age. He will likely spend the 2020-21 season with the Eagles again and look to build on those numbers. If he can, he may earn himself a call up to the NHL at some point this coming season.
5. Justus Annunen
One of Colorado’s more intriguing prospects is goaltender Justus Annunen. The 2018 third-round pick (No. 64 overall) remains relatively unknown as he has yet to play a season on North American soil. However, the six-foot-three netminder was able to impress many during the 2020 World Juniors where he represented Team Finland. In six games played, he put up a 2.65 goals against average (GAA) along with a .916 save percentage (SV%). Unfortunately, he and his teammates lost to Team Sweden in the Bronze Medal Game, but it was a solid performance nonetheless.
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While his numbers at the World Juniors were good they were nothing compared to the totals he posted in the SM-liiga during the 2019-20 season. In 23 games for Karpat, he put up an incredible 1.77 GAA along with a .929 SV and a 15-5-3 record. It should be noted that it was in a backup role, but, given the fact he was just 19 at the time, playing in one of the top professional leagues in Europe makes it extremely impressive. He has gotten his 2020-21 season with Karpat underway, and has a 2.20 GAA along with a .890 SV% in five games so far. Look for him to improve those totals while also receiving more playing time this season.
4. Conor Timmins
Colorado’s second-round pick (No. 32 overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft remains one of their top prospects. The 22-year-old played in his first professional season after missing the entire 2018-19 season with ongoing concussion issues. Despite missing an entire year, he proved this past season that he still has the potential to be a great player. He actually made the Avalanche roster to start the 2019-20 season, but appeared in just two games before being sent to the AHL. He played a total of 40 games and managed to put up 27 points.
Putting up offensive numbers is nothing new for Timmins, who had just come off of a 61-point season with the Soo Greyhounds in the OHL at the time the Avalanche drafted him. He followed that season up with 41 points in 38 games for the Greyhounds, as well as posting a goal and four assists in seven games for Team Canada at the 2018 World Juniors. While missing an entire year certainly wasn’t ideal, he still remains a top-end prospect for Colorado.
3. Justin Barron
Justin Barron is the youngest player on this list, having just been selected in the first-round (No. 25 overall) at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The 18-year-old defenseman had a solid 2019-20 season despite playing for a bad Halifax Moosehead team, with 19 points in 34 games. His season prior was equally impressive with 41 points in 68 games, as well as 13 points in 23 postseason contests.
On top of being a fantastic player, the Halifax, Nova Scotia native is also very mature for his age and is a tremendous leader, proven by being named the Mooseheads captain prior to the start of the 2020-21 season. The season is already underway for Barron and his teammates, and he is off to a terrific start with five assists in six games. He has a great chance to represent Team Canada at the upcoming 2021 World Juniors.
2. Alex Newhook
Another player hopeful to represent Team Canada at the 2021 World Juniors is Alex Newhook. In fact, he is nearly a lock to crack the roster. Taken with the 16th pick at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the 19-year-old center has put up numbers at an elite pace at every level throughout his hockey career. The St. John’s, Newfoundland native played in a combined 98 games with the Victoria Grizzlies in the BCHL from 2017-2019, posting 168 points. Had he gone the major junior route instead, he likely would have been selected even higher in the draft.
This past season saw Newhook make his college hockey debut with Boston College. He was able to not only fit in but dominate, as he put up a team leading 19 goals and 42 points in just 34 games played, along with a plus/minus rating of plus 28. Avs fans can expect him to not only suit up for Team Canada at the World Juniors, but likely play a big role for the team. He isn’t all that far off from becoming an impactful NHLer, either.
1. Bowen Byram
As if the Avs weren’t gifted enough when they selected 2020 Calder Trophy winner Cale Makar with the fourth overall selection at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, they appear to have drafted another stud defenseman with the same pick, but just two years later. Bowen Byram was taken fourth overall by the Avalanche in 2019 after putting up an astounding 26 goals and 71 points in just 67 games with the Vancouver Giants in the WHL. While his goal total dipped a bit this past season, he still managed 12 goals and 52 points in 50 games.
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It’s hard to say where Byram will end up for the 2020-21 season. He is without doubt good enough to crack many NHL rosters right now, although the Avalanche are absolutely stacked. If they decide he needs more time, he would return to the WHL for one final season and represent Team Canada for the second time at the World Juniors.
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He helped them win a gold medal in 2020 with two assists in seven games, a total he will likely smash if he does end up participating in the tournament again. Regardless of where he ends up this year, Colorado has another incredible young defenseman on their hands.