Avalanche Draft Profile: Conor Timmins

Get to Know Conor Timmins

Date of Birth: 9/18/1998
Place of Birth: Thorold, ON, CAN
Ht: 6’1″ Wt: 181 lbs
Shoots: Right
Position: Defense
Team (League): Sault. Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)

Statistics

What Scouts See

Kevin Wickersham, Dobber Prospects:

The cerebral, poised Timmins plays an impressive two-way game featuring sharp intuition and vision that contribute to his skilled passing and playmaking. A great puck-mover and mobile skater that excels at quarterbacking the power play. He took great offensive strides last year with OHL Sault Ste. Marie, finishing with seven goals and 54 assists in 67 contests, far exceeding his previous 13-point campaign. He could add more muscle to beef up his already aggressive defensive game.

Brock Otten, OHL Prospects:

The true definition of a jack of all trades defender. Timmins excels at both ends of the ice. Defensively, he plays much bigger than his 6’1 frame. He’s ultra-aggressive in the corners and in front of the net, and while he’s not the type to lower the boom with a huge open ice hit, he’s adept at engaging physically to win one on one battles. He also makes very good decisions with the puck in his own end, utilizing a great first pass or good mobility to get the puck out of trouble. Offensively, he has great vision and has really grown as a powerplay QB. While I don’t think his point shot will ever be a massive weapon, he shows enough as a puck mover to suggest that his offensive abilities could translate to point production at the NHL level. I think really adding an extra gear to his skating ability could help him with that production as he moves forward. When it comes to Hague versus Timmins, I think Hague gets the advantage because of his size and unorthodox offensive contributions. But don’t be surprised if Timmins goes first because he’s a right shot defender who just screams pro defender because of his all-around abilities.

What BSN Avalanche sees

I started looking into Timmins as a potential second round prospect halfway through the season and he immediately impressed. He’s a strong puck mover who makes sharp decisions in his own end and looks to aggressively get the puck out of his own zone.

He won’t wow you with his skating but he doesn’t struggle in that area. He displays great vision and a high hockey IQ but shows a very well-rounded game with good defense as well. He’s not an overly physical player but he doesn’t shy away from contact when the situation calls for it. All in all, he’s a good two-way defenseman with a lot of upside that should slip into the back half of the first round.

Highlights

NHL Potential

Timmins reminds me a little bit of Charlie McAvoy last year, though the upside isn’t quite as high with Timmins. His all-around play and right-handedness should see him easily make a team’s top four someday and he could be the power play quarterback a team needs, though he’d probably be a better fit on the second unit than your primary guy. He’s not a great shooter but should not struggle to bundle up a grip of assists from his excellent outlet passing.

How Prospect Fits in Avalanche Organization

Should Timmins land in Colorado, it would mean the Avalanche either acquired a second first round pick or the rest of the NHL lost its damn mind and he slipped to the top of the second round. Timmins would instantly upgrade Colorado’s blue line prospects and even though Erik Johnson and Tyson Barrie are entrenched in Denver and Nicolas Meloche is set to open at San Antonio in the AHL next year, Timmins further bolsters that right side where you can never have too much talent.

The depth at that position would allow Colorado to take it slow with Timmins like they have with Meloche, who played two more junior seasons before beginning his pro career. That slower development would give Colorado a high-level prospect for years to come, something they’ve lacked as they have rushed many of their high-end guys to the NHL very quickly.