The Colorado Avalanche are the reigning Stanley Cup champions. Their success was built on drafting and scouting. The core of the team was added at the draft, Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, and Gabriel Landeskog were all inside the top ten of their draft years.
While the team had a few picks miss (Tyson Jost, Conner Bleackley) their overall grade is a high one. The prospect pool has been heavily depleted in the past few years due to graduating players the likes of Bowen Byram, and Alex Newhook, and trades. GM Joe Sakic traded away prospects Drew Helleson and Justin Barron and all but two picks in the 2022 Entry Draft.
The only picks Colorado had in the 2022 draft were a sixth-round pick (193rd overall) and the very last overall selection at 255th at the bottom of the seventh round.
The Avalanche will remain a contending team for the foreseeable future with a young team featuring Makar, Mackinnon, and Rantanen all in their prime.
But the pipeline is starting to thin out and the team lacks many picks in the near future to help replenish.
1. Sean Behrens, LD – University of Denver (NCAA)
Age: 19
Ht/Wt: 5-10/176
Drafted: 2021 round two, 61st overall by Colorado Avalanche
The 2021 second-round pick had a tremendous D+1 campaign as a freshman with Denver scoring 29 points in 37 games and leading the Pioneers to an NCAA Championship. Behrens is back for at least one more year of NCAA development as there is no rush to graduate him.
The Avalanche blueline is flush with young talent so cracking into the top-six of Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Sam Girard, Josh Manson, and Bowen Byram is no easy task. The departure of Helleson and Barron will help.
2. Ben Meyers, C/LW – Colorado Eagles (AHL)
Age: 23
Ht/Wt: 5-11/194
Drafted: Free agent signed in 2022
The top NCAA free agent from the 2022 class was Ben Meyers with a bullet. Meyers played three seasons with the University of Minnesota and was a Hobey Baker Finalist. Slightly undersized but an effective and strong player, Meyers blends playmaking vision, skill, a high compete level, and a two-way game. He has leadership ability and is versatile.
The 23-year-old may never crack the Avalanche’s top-six for any length of time, but he should become a regular NHL player after some more seasoning in the AHL. Meyers represented USA in both the Olympics and World Championships in 2022 with a combined 12 points in 14 games.
3. Justus Annunen, G – Colorado Eagles (AHL)
Age: 22]
Ht/Wt: 6-4/209
Drafted: 2018 round three, 64th overall by Colorado Avalanche
If there is one position that the Avalanche may be thin on it is in goal. Annunen brings some draft pedigree as a third-round pick. He has a U18 Gold Medal and a SM Liiga Championship on his resume already. He played his rookie season in the AHL last year and posted a 24-13-6 record with two shutouts. His play earned him a brief NHL recall where he played his first two NHL games.
Still only 22 years old, the Avalanche can be patient with the big 6-4 Finnish netminder and develop him in the AHL. He has a future NHL starting goaltender upside.
4. Oskar Olausson, C/W – Colorado Eagles (AHL)
Age: 19
Ht/Wt: 6-2/181
Drafted: 2021 round one, 28th overall by Colorado Avalanche
The 2021 first-round pick made his North American debut in the OHL last year scoring 49 points with the Barrie Colts and Oshawa Generals. His production declined slightly as a member of the Generals, but in the WJC he rebounded with five points in seven games for Sweden.
Olausson’s best weapon is his shot, it is heavy and accurate. His playmaking and vision may be limiting or below average for a top-six NHL forward, but he will play his rookie season in the AHL and try to prove he is a prospect on the rise.
5. Martin Kaut, RW – Colorado Eagles (AHL)
Age: 23
Ht/Wt: 6-2/190
Drafted: 2018 round one, 16th overall by Colorado Avalanche
The Czech 2018 first-rounder has been trending in a downward spiral for several seasons now. His D+1 season saw him make his North American debut in the AHL and he played up to the billing of a first-round pick scoring 26 points in 63 games.
Despite playing limited games in his sophomore season, he still produced with another 18 points in 34 games and made his nine-game NHL debut scoring three points. The following two campaigns have been a struggle, he played in 11 more NHL games. He has struggled to show he can produce in the NHL like he does in the AHL where he has 94 career points in 165 games.
He is in jeopardy of becoming a tweener and could end up back in Europe. This is a make-or-break season for Kaut.
6. Jean-Luc Foudy, C – Colorado Eagles (AHL)
Age: 20
Ht/Wt: 5-11/176
Drafted: 2020 round three, 75th overall by Colorado Avalanche
The speed demon is still only 20 years old and entering his third season in the AHL thanks to the pandemic. Typically, when players have two seasons of AHL development I would like to see more production, but Foudy has still only played 99 career games heading into this season. Look for Foudy to play a bigger role with the Eagles and to have a breakout season. Still, his NHL upside will likely top out as a third-line winger and penalty killer with some offensive upside.
7. Alex Beaucage, LW/RW – Colorado Eagles (AHL)
Age: 21
Ht/Wt: 6-1/192
Drafted: 2019 round three, 78th overall by Colorado Avalanche
Beaucage had a difficult transition year into pro hockey. His point-per-game rate dropped from well over a point per game in the QMJHL to 0.3 in 40 games. But by the season’s end, he was back on track as he managed five points in eight playoff games. He is off to a good start in his sophomore season with the Eagles as well as he is on pace for a 48-point season.
Beaucage is a sniper and a high-volume shooter. He shoots from just about anywhere, handles the puck well, and has good offensive instincts. His style of play lends toward a top-six role, but that may cap out at the AHL level. Time will tell.
8. Nikolai Kovalenko, RW/LW – Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)
Age: 23
Ht/Wt: 5-10/185
Drafted: 2018 round six, 171st overall by Colorado Avalanche
The son of ex-NHL winger Andrei Kovalenko (A.K.A. AK-47) is now a 23-year-old KHL veteran with four seasons under his belt. On his third team in that time his debut with Torpedo is off to a red-hot start as he is on pace for 51 points.
Kovalenko is under contract in the KHL through the 2023-24 season but if he maintains his current production that would certainly warrant a contract offer to play in the NHL.
9. Shane Bowers, C/RW – Colorado Eagles
Age: 23
Ht/Wt: 6-2/185
Drafted: 2017 round one, 28th overall by Colorado Avalanche
Bowers is a prime example of poor player development. After being a first-round selection from the USHL where he posted strong numbers, Bowers played two NCAA seasons with the Boston Terriers. In his 77 career games played with the Terriers, he recorded 53 points.
After his sophomore season, he was signed by the Avalanche and played 48 games as a rookie, scoring 27 points. His games played were limited for the following two years as he was lingering on the taxi squad and playing in only 28 games, and 37 games in the following AHL seasons. His point totals plummeted, and he has yet to see any NHL time.
Removed from college too soon and not playing enough at the pro level, his stock has bottomed out. He cleared waivers to start this year back in the AHL. On the upside, he is off to a career year on pace for 48 points after nine games. With a full and productive season in the AHL he could become relevant again.
10. Ivan Zhigalov, G – Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
Age: 19
Ht/Wt: 6-3/168
Drafted: 2022 round seven, 225th overall by Colorado Avalanche
Undrafted in 2021, Zhigalov was the last selection in his D+1 year. The Belarusian played last year in the QMJHL with the Sherbrooke Phoenix posting a 26-9-3 record. Zhigalov was released by the Phoenix and was selected at the import draft a second time and is playing in the OHL with the Kingston Frontenacs. His play has been outstanding with a 2.65 GAA and a .919 SV% earning goalie of the week recognition early in the campaign.
Zhigalov has size, athleticism, solid positioning, tracks pucks well, and is a great teammate. This file will be a long-term project to make the NHL, but don’t sleep on this player.
Honorable Mentions:
Sampo Ranta – The speedy Finnish winger and alumni of the University of Minnesota has yet to find his groove at the pro level.
Colby Ambrosio – 2020 fourth-rounder entering his junior season with Boston College and is trending towards signing following this year.
Nick Leivermann – A 24-year-old seventh-round pick from 2017 is exercising his option to play a fifth season with Notre Dame.
Matthew Stienburg – Produced a point-per-game offense as a junior at Cornell and is back to play his senior year. Should finish the year in the AHL unless he becomes a free agent this coming summer.
