Avalanche Prospect Portfolio: Behrens Stock Booming

With most prospects hitting the ten-game mark of the season trajectories for the year are starting to become clear and many of them are of the very positive variety. Despite having just one first-round pick in their unsigned ranks the Avs prospect pool remains strong.

Prospect of the Week:

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

With 10 points in ten games, Behrens is the second most productive amateur prospect in the Avs system behind only Olausson. Have I mentioned he’s a defenseman? Have I mentioned he’s a Freshman? This is well beyond expectation for any second-round pick and many parts of Behrens game seem ready for pro hockey today. It’s not perfect, he’s still looking for his first NCAA goal, and DU has fallen out of the rankings with two conference losses, but it would be hard to ask for much more of Behrens. Be sure to check out the interview with Behrens coming soon on the site.

AHL:

The Colorado Eagles have finally started figuring things out in November. They just couldn’t keep the puck out of their net in October, winning only a single game in their first seven but have bounced back nicely winning four of six in November so far as opposing team goal totals have dropped dramatically.

Mikhail Maltsev

Maltsev is a cut above every other Avs prospect in the AHL system and then some. With Newhook in the NHL, at this point, it feels like a waiting game until his next opportunity with his only real competition for a call-up spot being Dylan Sikura. I am confident you will see Maltsev in the NHL again at some point this season.

Justus Annunen

Annunen’s numbers are being dragged down heavily by his very poor play in October as he adjusted to North America but he seems to be getting comfortable as his four starts in November all came in with GAA’s under 3 including a couple of 30+ save performances. He has four of the Eagle’s five wins and both OT losses, so as Annunen goes, the Eagles go.

Europe:

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

Just two games in the last 14 days for Aman so no real updates here. Perhaps every player related to the Avs is cursed to have these awkward breaks in their season.

OHL:

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

Olausson is now riding a seven-game point streak and has reached the top 10 in goals in the OHL. He leads Barrie in scoring and encouragingly most of that production is coming at even strength now. It’s pretty clear he’s going to be a one-and-done guy in the OHL, the question is how far can he push his game. If he starts to process the game better and learns how to use teammates more effectively Olausson could even threaten a role of black ace for the Avs at the end of the year.

NCAA:

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

The points production slipped a touch for Ambrosio but he’s still found ways to pick up a few and has come up clutch for BC including scoring their only regulation goal in an OT win over UCONN. Plus he has some pretty hype goal cellys.

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

Buyalsky once again did not suit up for any of Vermont’s over the weekend. There is still no official reason for it that I can so I stick with my assumption of some kind of injury but someone disappearing for a month is never great.

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

I’m ready for his NCAA season to be over and want to see Helleson in pro hockey. Hurry up so the Avs can sign this kid.

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

A nice offensive uptick for Leivermann at least has him as the most productive defenseman for Notre Dame, maybe some team will take a flyer on him but for me, there’s just not quite enough there to give him an ELC.

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

Makar is quickly torpedoing towards an entirely wasted year as a freshman in college as he was once again a healthy scratch for UMASS. It sounds like some injuries have piled and he may be able to get into some games this coming weekend but scratching at the fringes of an NCAA lineup is obviously a bad sign.

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

Steinburg may have had his “a-ha!” moment as he found his offensive game for the first time in his college career racking up eight points in four games. Since he is still classified as a sophomore this is a huge step in the right direction for him. Maybe there is enough offensive punch there, now it’s just a matter of what he can do over a longer stretch.

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

A big two weeks for Weiss as he finally started putting some pucks in the net. At over a point per game pace, I feel pretty confident that some team is going to take a chance on Weiss with a contract. I’m still not confident what his transition to pro looks like and he may still play too much on the perimeter but he’s drifting into territory where it’s worth finding out.

Russia:

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

Kovalenko has been confirmed to be injured and will miss at least another week. It’s unclear exactly what the injury is but the hope is Kovy will pick up where left off when he does return.

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

Shmakov has played in more games and has looked pretty solid in them including one shutout. The reality of the Avs goalie situation still means there is really no chance of him being signed, but at least he exists again.

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

The KHL has been on break since November 5th so not much to report on the healthy KHL player in the Avs system.