Avalanche Prospect Portfolio: Finding Ice Time

For many of the Avs prospects finding ice time has continued to be a struggle throughout this pandemic plagued season. With even the best of leagues playing an on-again, off-again schedule many prospects have found themselves venturing into unusual territory just to keep themselves sharp. While a few players have had a close to normal year, many may be chalking this one up as a lost season.

AHL:

The AHL begins this week but things remain in flux for the league as teams try to manage COVID and for teams like Stockton moving operations up to Canada at the request of their parent club Calgary. This has left the Eagles without an opponent until Saturday the 13th, leaving prospects like Martin Kaut, Shane Bowers, and Adam Werner in limbo.

With training camp currently ongoing and games on the horizon, many Avs prospects without a place to play have signed ATOs with the Eagles to get on the ice and get reps. The list includes: Luka Burzan, Jean-Luc Foudy, Trent Miner, and Sasha Mutala,

Europe:

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

Games Played	Goals	Assists	Points	PIM	+/-
38	1	2	3	8	-7

While the sixth-round overager has carved out a regular role for himself in the SHL the production has been nearly nonexistent this season. Three points in 38 games averaging nearly 13 minutes of ice time just isn’t going to cut it. With this being his first full year pro there is still some hope for more opportunity and offense in his future but for a late-round flyer that doesn’t have much time to prove himself contract worthy, don’t get your hopes up.

Justus Annunen – G (Oulun Kärpät) round 3, pick 64, 2018

Games Played	Wins	Losses	OTW	OTL	Save %	GAA
13	6	5	2	0	87.9	2.46

Safe to say it has been a down year for Annunen. Many factors play into it, part regression toward more reasonable expectations, part a significantly weaker Kärpät team in front of him, part a stop-start season for the Liiga. Despite some weak numbers he’s still managed to maintain a 50/50 split of the starts and holds the lion’s share of his team’s wins. Despite his struggles expectations haven’t changed. Already being on contract there is even potential for him to join the Colorado Eagles later this season and get his first real taste of North American hockey.

NCAA:

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

Games Played	Goals	Assists	Points	PIM	+/-
15	6	4	11	6	8

It’s been four months since the NHL draft and you have to think that the Avs scouting staff is feeling great about the early returns. Ambrosio dropped into BC’s high powered offense like it was meant to be. With Newhook absent, Ambrosio has made the most of the opportunities given to him. For a fourth-rounder coming out of the USHL, his production is exactly what the Avs were hoping for. With the talent readily available even as a freshman, the work now comes on his consistency. A bit on the smaller side, size will remain a concern but if this production is not a mirage the Avs may have something.

Nate Clurman – D (Notre Dame) round 6, pick 161, 2016

Games Played	Goals	Assists	Points	PIM	+/-
18	3	3	6	10	-1

I’m going to level with you; the Fighting Irish are not a good hockey team this year. Nate Clurman however has been solid. The team lacks high-end offensive talent as well as the depth to really play the slow grindy style that they want to but Clurman is able to make it work when he is on the ice. The offense is never going to be where you want it to be for Clurman but he’s doing enough that it’s not a complete wasteland and the intangibles are there. It’s still really tough to see an NHL caliber player in there but maybe there’s a world where he becomes a system guy for the Avs.

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

Games Played	Goals	Assists	Points	PIM	+/-
13	2	6	8	4	14

Helleson is quickly becoming a better version of Clurman in all aspects. This is to be expected given he was drafted four rounds earlier. The point remains the Helleson has a strong well-rounded game and has started to chip in offensively a bit more this year, one point shy of last year’s total in less than half the games. His defense is quickly becoming one of the top of his class and he brings that element wonderfully to a BC team that sorely needs it. On top of a solid WJC Helleson is taking the correct steps towards an ELC but still has a ways to go. And then he pulls a highlight like this out of nowhere.

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

Games Played	Goals	Assists	Points	PIM	+/-
20	5	8	13	2	7

Leivermann is finally being given the opportunity to play some offense and wouldn’t you know it, it’s working. While the upside is probably not going to be enough to get the job done it’s nice to see that there is at least something there. This is the type of pick the seventh round is built for. Take a chance and maybe you get lucky.

Alex Newhook – C (Boston College) round 1, pick 16, 2019

Games Played	Goals	Assists	Points	PIM	+/-
3	0	2	2	0	-2

After asserting his position as one of the better forwards on Team Canada at the WJCs, Newhook returned to Boston College and added an assist in his first game back before re-aggravating a shoulder injury that kept him out until this weekend. Missed time is never a great thing but Newhook will still have the opportunity to close out the season strong at BC.

Sampo Ranta – LW (Minnesota) round 3, pick 78, 2018

Games Played	Goals	Assists	Points	PIM	+/-
20	12	7	19	6	11

Sampo Ranta has arrived. Just sign him to his ELC this offseason and make it official.

Ryder Rolston – W (Notre Dame) round 5, pick 139, 2020

Games Played	Goals	Assists	Points	PIM	+/-
19	0	4	4	19	2

It would appear that Notre Dame and Avs forward prospects still do not mix. Rolston’s production has been virtually nonexistent and the transition to NCAA hockey is not one that has come easily. The four-year path of the NCAA means there is still time but certainly not the start the Avs had hoped for in a guy they traded up to get.

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

Games Played	Goals	Assists	Points	PIM	+/-
18	5	11	16	18	12

The production is there for Weiss this year. The goal-scoring is up but still not quite to the level you would want to see. Still, if the pace continues you could make the argument that he’s done enough for the Avs to take a shot with an ELC. He may end up going back for his Senior year and we will see how the free agency dance plays out in those types of situations. The size will be a concern until we see him make it work at the professional level full stop.

QMJHL:

Justin Barron – D (Halifax Mooseheads) round 1, pick 26, 2020

Games Played	Goals	Assists	Points	PIM	+/-
11	3	9	12	6	12

It has been a rocky season for the QMJHL with many stops and starts but Barron is proving to be beyond the league in the time he has gotten this year. After a decent WJC performance, Barron drove home the point that he was done with amateur hockey by dropping five points in two games as the QMJHL returned to play. With Byram and possibly Timmins graduating into the NHL right now, the next defenseman is on the way.

Alex Beaucage – RW (Victoriaville Tigres) round 3, pick 78, 2019

Games Played	Goals	Assists	Points	PIM	+/-
16	14	6	20	14	0

On the restart of the season, Beaucage was traded to the Victoriaville Tigres. This should give him the opportunity to play with some better talent and spend more time back at his natural position of RW. Seeing how players adjust in these situations is always a curiosity but at this point, it is basically a given he will be signing his ELC at the end of the year.

Russia:

Nikolai Kovalenko – RW (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl) round 6, pick 171, 2018

Games Played	Goals	Assists	Points	PIM	+/-
37	5	4	9	12	15

Despite solid underlying numbers, Kovalenko has seen a dip in production and role this season. None the less his game remains a known quantity at this point and he continues to get nods for the Russian national teammate alongside fellow prospect Daniil Zhuravlyov. Perhaps the lack of opportunity in Russia could help accelerate a move to North America and an opportunity for the Avs to see what they have.

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

Games Played	Wins	Losses	OTW	OTL	Save %	GAA
13	5	4	0	3	91.6	2.48

The international man of mystery remains quite mysterious as he has played just five games in the last two months despite putting up good numbers. His last game was on January 11th. As always it can be difficult to find news out of Russia so it’s unclear if he is injured or not but Neftekamsk has now used six goalies on the season so far.

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

Games Played	Goals	Assists	Points	PIM	+/-
36	3	10	13	20	12

Who had Zhuravlyov as the best non-North American prospect in the Avs pool? I’m guessing just about no one. The new Z has found his footing in his second year in the KHL and is really starting to lean into the offensive ability that got him drafted in the first place. While he still sees sheltered minutes at times, with Kazan leading the entire KHL he is poised to get some great playoff experience. One of the Avs many late-round lottery tickets this one is starting to look intriguing.

Unknown:

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

Stienburg has seemingly dropped entirely off the radar this year after Ivy league schools canceled their season he attempted to go play in the BCHL where he got injured in the preseason and then that season was promptly canceled as well. Estimates on his lower-body injury were that he should be healthy around the beginning of January but he hasn’t popped up in any transactions nor played any games.