Avalanche Prospect Portfolio: Regular season winding down

With playoffs already underway in some cases, Avs prospects are entering the point where how many games are left is uncertain. Some are making the most of every game and poised to garner attention over the offseason others are squarely set to need another year of development

Pro Standouts:

Martin Kaut – RW (Colorado Avalanche) round 1, pick 16, 2018

Through seven games Kaut looks nothing short of NHL-ready. While the numbers game may ultimately have him out of the lineup when push comes to shove the Avs couldn’t have asked for more out of him. He has been excellent in the bottom six with high hockey IQ and the production is just a bonus. There’s a chance he sticks for the rest of this year and even if he doesn’t it’s likely he has all but earned a roster spot for next season.

Logan O’Connor – RW (Colorado Avalanche) College Free Agent signing

Picking the two prospects currently in the NHL feels a little bit like a cop-out but they are there for a reason. This is O’Connor’s second stint with the Avs and he managed to pick up another goal, making him the second most productive callup for the Avs this year behind Kaut. Speed is the one thing that will always stand out in his game and while it’s going to be hard for him to find a regular spot on a deep Avs team in the future, there may be an NHL career here.

KHL:

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

The playoffs have begun in the KHL and it looks like Kovalenko’s season is about to come to an abrupt end. Lokomotiv has been blown out in the first two games of their series with Jokerit and Kovy hasn’t contributed much more than a couple of hits. If this is the endpoint to his season, Kovalenko should be happy with the steps he’s made, particularly on the offensive side. His contract with Lokomotiv goes through the 2021 season so it will be one more year of Russian development for him before the Avs come calling.

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

Despite returning for the final game of the regular season Zhuravlyov did not dress for Kazan’s first playoff game. It’s not clear as to why he was sat for game one but Ak Bars are the top seed in the east and poised for a playoff run so the hope is he can get some significant playoff experience. The injury (unofficially reported as a broken leg) has put a damper on what was shaping up to be a bit of break out year. Hopefully, he can get back in for the playoffs and end on a high note.

Liiga (Finland):

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

Annunen has not played since the last edition of the portfolio. After some digging, it appears he suffered some kind of injury but it is not clear what. The good news is he was dressed as the backup for the first time in two weeks yesterday so he seems to be at least close to coming back. Karpat has the top seed locked up with 10 days left in the season so Annunen should be ready for the playoffs.

NCAA:

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

Notre Dame enters the Big Ten tournament as the five seed where Clurman and the Avs’ trio will face off against Minnesota and fellow Avs prospect Sampo Ranta. Clurman might be one of a struggling Notre Dame’s most consistent players. While consistency is great there just have not been flashes of a significantly higher ceiling than what he already has. With little expected out of Notre Dame in the tournament(s), Clurman will likely find himself on the back burner with something to prove next season.

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

Helleson returned from injury over the weekend just in time to get back up to game speed as BC has one weekend of the regular season left before the Hockey East tournament. Helleson has been a stabilizing force on a high-scoring BC team that is likely to be the one seed in their tournament and poised for a long run. The more hockey the better here as development is still the focus.

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

Inconsistency continues to hold Leivermann back. The offensive flashes are just that, flashes and nothing more. While next year is still likely the key to his future there was hope for a little bit more this season with the playing time he has gotten. The Avs and Notre Dame just don’t seem to be a great mix.

Cam Morrison – LW (Notre Dame) round 2, pick 40, 2016

Throughout his college career, Morrison’s best work has always come in the season’s end tournaments. He is always good for a game-winning goal or two and it would be great to see him end his collegiate career on a high note. The assumption is that he will have a contract offer from the Avs in the offseason and from there it’s up to him and what he can do at the pro level.

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

Alex Newhook is the best freshman in college hockey. With 21 points in his last ten games, he has torn through the Hockey East and made it his plaything. On the offensive side of the puck, there is a decent chance he could get by in the NHL today. However with the Avs having minimal room and work to be done on the defensive end as well as filling out his frame the path of another year of college just seems to be the easy one. Let him be the engine at BC through this offseason and then another season to round out his game and he will be ready to be an important player for the Avs.

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

After a very solid majority of the year, Ranta slowed significantly in the last month of the season putting up just one point in his last seven games. With some tournament play still to go he hopefully still has something left to give but it has put a bit of a punctuation mark on the fact that he still has more growing to do. This year has still been a step in the right direction but next season needs to be a leap.

Denis Smirnov – LW (Penn State) round 6, pick 156, 2017

Penn State will have the top seed in the Big Ten tournament but barring something absurd like two points per game there isn’t much the Smirnov can do to move the needle.

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

Steinburg picked up four points in his last four games to round out the regular season strong. Cornell remains ranked as the top team in the NCAA which bodes well for more opportunities. While that production is nothing to write home about it is better than nothing and something to build on for Stienburg. Who knows, Cornell has as good a chance as anyone to make the frozen four and maybe he becomes a hero.

Tyler Weiss – LW (Nebraska Omaha) round 4, pick 109, 2018

With one more weekend of play left for UNO Weiss leads the team in assists and sits top three in points. The reality is Omaha just is not a particularly strong team. Weiss does what he can with the tools he’s given but he is limited by the players around him. He has not shown the ability to drive play and produce individually he needs talent to synergize with to get the most out of him. A solid year without a doubt and like many college players, his junior year will be crucial. The question is how much will be left to projection because he plays at UNO.

QMJHL:

Alex Beaucage – RW (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies) round 3, pick 78, 2019

The way the Q is set up, every team in the western conference is guaranteed to make the playoffs. Beaucage and the Huskies will likely fall in the mushy middle around the five or six seed. They have a chance to pull off a win in the first round but anything more than that would be a considerable upset. Even with just two goals in February Beaucage sits top five in the league and is the driving force to the Huskies offense. The stat sheet continues to be fun to look at but the parts of his game that still need work don’t show up there.

WHL:

Luka Burzan – RW (Brandon Wheat Kings) round 6, pick 171, 2019

Brandon sits comfortably in the two seed of their division in the WHL. Their division is arguably the weakest in the W but the good news is they follow the same playoff format as the NHL meaning Brandon gets to play the three seed from their division. Burzan is still one of the team’s offensive leaders and will be a key player if they are to make it to the second round. His situation will be interesting this offseason. A strong playoff performance could push him over the edge.

Bowen Byram – D (Vancouver Giants) round 1, pick 4, 2019

Trent Miner – G (Vancouver Giants) round 7, pick 202, 2019