Avalanche Prospect Portfolio: Oskar Olausson shining in OHL

Around the world, every major professional and junior hockey league is underway and things are at least back to normal-ish. With graduations to both the AHL and NHL, the Avs prospect pool is a bit thinner than in previous years but there is still plenty of high-end potential to be found. Returning players will be making up lost ground as new prospects try to make their mark and earn an NHL contract

AHL:

The AHL began over the weekend seeing the Colorado Eagles kick off the season with two games against Henderson. Given the Avs extreme roster mess and five separate players being called up in the last few days, it’s hard to take any real standouts from these games, but Mikhail Maltsev did score this incredible goal for the Eagles opening night.

Europe:

Nils Aman – C (Leksands) round 6, pick 167, 2020

Okay. This season is what the Avs saw when they took a flyer on Aman in the sixth round. Aman’s not setting the SHL on fire or anything but he’s provided some consistent offensive impact through the first month of his season. Enough to at least see why it would be interesting. Unfortunately due to his age, the Avs have to make a decision on him this season and it’s going to take a lot for him to earn an ELC.

OHL:

Oskar Olausson – RW (Barrie Colts) round 1, pick 27, 2021

After a pretty brutal rookie showcase Olaussons stock has taken off like a rocket in the preseason and the move to Barrie in the OHL. He dropped in and immediately became the offensive engine for the junior and team and is scoring ridiculous goals on a nightly basis. There are still a lot of rough edges to round out with this kid but this is going to be a fun year for him.

NCAA:

Colby Ambrosio – C (Boston College) round 4, pick 118, 2020

Not a fast start but not a slow start either for Ambrosio. Beyond Olausson, goal scoring is something the Avs prospect pool lacks and Ambrosio could be the forward to fill that void. You would like to see his offense continue on an uptick on a BC that isn’t what it was last year and can give him significant opportunities. For a smaller player, his nose for the puck in and around the net has proven fruitful so far.

Sean Behrens – D (Denver) round 2, pick 61, 2021

Denver looks to be a powerhouse offensive team, likely in the top 10 of the nation when you are reading this. Behrens has dropped in and not looked one step out of place with the team. As a freshman, his poise and patience with the puck, particularly in the offensive zone, is more than noteworthy. Between the numerous high-end successes at the top of the first round, Timmins on his way to success in Arizona and now Justin Barron, Behrens, and Drew Helleson, the Avs could be one of the more successful teams of the last half-decade when it comes to drafting defensemen.

Andrei Buyalsky – C (Vermont) round 3, pick 92, 2021

As a 21-year-old in his first three NCAA games, I think you can call this a slow start. Buyalsky was a power forward with a big shot in the USHL last season and while you have seen him fire away with nine shots in three games the power element hasn’t been there at all. He has to find ways to get to the effective areas of the ice and shouldn’t have the issues with size that some other players on this list have. Vermont looks to be a pretty low-scoring hockey team and should be able to give him plenty of opportunities if he can just get it going.

Drew Helleson – D (Boston College) round 2, pick 47, 2019

Steady as she goes for Helleson. Entering his junior year he is likely well on his way to an ELC with the Avs already. If you are a believer in the Avs needing more grit and powerful defenders, this is your boy. If he can continue on a half a point per game or better you can expect to see him signed and with the Colorado Eagles as soon as March.

Nicky Leivermann – D (Notre Dame) round 7, pick 187, 2017

We are likely looking at the last season that Leivermann can be legitimately called an NHL prospect. A Notre Dame squad that was supposed to teach him how to play defense never really got on the same page and seemed to hinder Leivermann from his offensive game more than anything else. At this point he is putting his skills on display for all 32 NHL teams, maybe he goes off and earns something, maybe he winds up with an AHL deal somewhere, maybe he walks away with a college degree and that’s that.

Taylor Makar – C (UMASS) round 7, pick 220, 2021

Is Taylor Makar a good story? Absolutely. Is Taylor Makar a good draft pick, even in the seventh round? Probably not. Following in his brother’s footsteps at UMASS, he looks to be on the fringes of the lineup at the start of his freshman season. Keep your expectations low and don’t worry too much about this one. Who knows what could happen over the next four years.

Matt Stienburg – C (Cornell) round 3, pick 63, 2019

Stienburg is the only Avs prospect whose season has yet to begin. Cornell will kick things off next weekend in what will count as Stienburg’s sophomore year. He hasn’t played a hockey game in over a calendar year, spending a significant portion of the pandemic recovering from a broken leg. His last NCAA appearance was in March of 2020, 19 months ago.

Tyler Weiss – C (University of Omaha Nebraska) round 4, pick 109, 2020

At this point, Weiss is a known quantity. An undersized perimeter-oriented forward who might be capable of putting up big numbers as a pass-first player. The problem is it seems that alone is not enough to get a contract, at least not from the Avs. The start of his season has pretty much mirrored that and as another guy that is really auditioning for 32 NHL clubs, the goal-scoring that could be the piece to get him over the hump just hasn’t been there in the early going.

Russia:

Nikolai Kovalenko – RW (Ak Bars Kazan) round 6, pick 171, 2018

Kovalenko has moved to Ak Bars Kazan this season joining fellow Avs prospect Daniil Zhuravlyov and his game has blossomed. Kazan has given him significantly more opportunity than he ever got with Yaroslavl and his offense has found a new level. If the Avs are going to bring him over I don’t think it’s going to get much better than the end of this season. Plus he has joined the elite group of players that have scored with their face.

Shamil Shmakov – G (Toros Neftekamsk) round 7, pick 202, 2018

Shmakov is allegedly still with the VHL team he played with last year but a month into the season hasn’t played in a single game. I’m starting to think that guy that showed up at training camp last year wasn’t actually him and that he may not actually be real. The mystery continues. As a side note, Shmakov being the only non-in-house goalie for the Avs prospect pool does have things looking a bit thin. With Annunen and Miner playing in Loveland and Utah respectively they are ok in the immediate but is something the Avs will need to address at some point.

Daniil Zhuravlyov – D (Ak Bars Kazan) round 5, pick 146, 2018

It’s been a bit of a slow month for Zhuravlyov offensively, as some of that flash we saw last season hasn’t quite shown up in the same way. Still, he’s getting more opportunity than ever, is up near the top of Kazan in blocked shots, and has the best +/- on the team. Take from that whatever you want, the KHL doesn’t have readily available advanced statistics.