A talent-laden Avalanche development camp has two darkhorses lurking

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When the Avalanche released their development camp roster yesterday, there were several things that immediately stuck out. First, the roster:

Second, the obvious.

This is easily the most talented rookie camp group they’ve ever assembled. Martin Kaut, Alex Newhook, Shane Bowers, Cam Morrison, Drew Helleson, Conor Timmins, and the fourth overall pick from last weekend’s draft, Bowen Byram. That’s seven players drafted in the top two rounds. Other top prospects include Nick Henry, Nikolai Kovalenko, and Sampo Ranta.

Four of the five drafted goaltenders in their system are going to be at the camp, with only Petr Kvaca not attending.

The Avalanche have a legitimately impressive amount of talent in this group and yet there’s two players on their tryout list who standout as guys with potential to repeat the feat accomplished last year by Logan O’Connor.

O’Connor was undrafted and heading into his senior year as a member of the Denver Pioneers when the Avalanche invited him to development camp. They liked what they saw and signed him to an entry-level contract. O’Connor scored 42 points in his rookie AHL season and even made his NHL debut with the Avalanche.

The two players I think are likeliest to follow in his footsteps? Undersized defensemen Jack Ahcan and Michael Davies.

First, Davies. He, like O’Connor, is down the road at DU enjoying a solid career with the Pioneers. He’s heading into his senior season and has produced underwhelming counting stats while playing behind more heralded teammates such as Ian Mitchell.

Standing at just 5’8″ and weighing only 173 pounds, it’s no wonder Davies has flown under the NHL’s radar to this point. His size is obviously playing against him but he’s also a very good all-around player who is your classic “good at everything, great at nothing” style of player.

Davies gets by with great hockey sense and a hockey IQ that has him always positioned in the right spots. He combines excellent skating prowess with a strong understanding of the game and he’s a very effective defender despite his size.

He has some puck skills but he doesn’t overwhelm the opposition with them. Again, the IQ and feet carry the day for him on offense. His career has seen him produce 42 points (8g, 34a) in 125 games played. He’s slated to be an assistant captain for the Pios next season.

The other guy to keep an eye on is Ahcan, who comes with a little more fanfare than Davies. Also undersized at 5’8″, Ahcan is quite a bit sturdier as he weighs in closer to 190 pounds to give him the fire hydrant build that we’re seeing be so successful in smaller defenders in the NHL today.

Ahcan also just completed his third season of college hockey. He has helped the St. Cloud Huskies to being one of the best, most consistent programs of the last three years. He also helped Team USA win the gold medal at the 2017 World Junior Championships.

Unlike Davies, he’s been consistently prolific on the offensive end, scoring 78 points (14g, 64a) in 114 games played. He’s coming off a year in which he produced 34 points (6g, 28a) in 38 games played for the Huskies.

Like Davies, he begins with great feet as his skating stands out as his top attribute. He’s a more natural puck-mover than Davies is, though, and can help quarterback a power play unit with ease. His shot isn’t anything special but he combines good vision with a great natural feel for the game and is able to generate scoring chances with his playmaking ability.

Ahcan is a sturdy defender who does everything he can to punch above his weight class. He plays with a grit and tenacity you don’t expect from a player of his stature but he knows that’s how he’s going to be successful and he doesn’t back down from getting his nose dirty.

Given the struggles the Colorado Eagles had on their blueline at the end of the year last year, I think it’s safe to assume the Avalanche targeting multiple veteran defensemen who can contribute offensively is no coincidence.

With Davies and Ahcan, they’re just trying to win over the Avalanche front office to the point they land an ELC. If it helps Ahcan, he attended this same camp last year with the Columbus Blue Jackets and nobody likes former Columbus-connected players like the Avs.

For the most talented development camp in Avs history, it’s two unheralded college players who might draw the most attention from Avalanche eyes.