Avs Rookie Tournament: Studs, duds, and everyone in the middle

The Avs finished their rookie tournament in Arizona with a record of 2-1, winning their final two games after getting shut out in the opener. Rather than put together tournament grades for all players, we figured it would be easier to just look at the players who stood out, the ones who struggled, and the ones who were in between.

STANDOUTS

Bowen Byram – The Avs got shut out in the opening game and really didn’t create a whole lot of anything offensively, but what little they did create seemed to mostly run through Byram either jumping into the play or springing the forwards on breaks.

In his second game, he wasn’t as active offensively, but was steady throughout and ended the game with a bomb from the point on the power play. Byram had a strange rookie year, in that he came in and seemed to excel defensively, but didn’t really provide much in the way of offense, and seemed to lack confidence on that end of the ice.

This tournament was a good reminder that he’s extremely skilled offensively and maybe can get some of that mojo back heading into the main camp. If nothing else, he needed to get some games in given how little he’s been able to play the last 18 months.

Alex Newhook – Four assists in his second game was more than enough to show that he probably didn’t need to be in this tournament, but the thing I was happiest to see from him in his two games was a strong defensive game. Management wanted him to play center, as that’s where they see him long-term, and he showed a commitment to defending in his own end. He made a great read on the penalty kill to spring himself and Bowers for a 2 on 1 goal in game two.

Like Byram, Newhook is expected to be on the opening night roster, but given the absence of Brandon Saad and Joonas Donskoi this year, he may be in line for some big minutes if he shows he can handle his business at both ends of the ice.

Shane Bowers – Game one for Bowers was pretty up and down. He took a penalty and had some turnovers, but also showed an understanding of the system that others were lacking and worked hard along the walls.

Game two for him was a much-needed standout performance, and he did it all over the ice. The skating was on display, as well as the smart little plays he’s capable of making. He scored two goals and picked up another assist in this game, but it’s the smart reads that may help him in the long run, as he’s not likely to be a big-time scorer at the NHL level.

He kickstarted the play on his second goal with a great breakup at the defensive blue line, followed by a smart zone entry and cycle. Now it’s on to the main camp where he needs to show the staff and management that he’s ready to get a taste of NHL action.

Jean-Luc Foudy – Perhaps no player fits the mold of the Avs identity moving forward greater than Foudy. A terrific skater and intelligent player, he was probably their most consistent forward from the first game to the last, creating chances with his speed and exiting and entering the zone cleanly.

He doesn’t appear to have any confidence in his shot, as he didn’t seem interested in using it at all this weekend, but displayed some good playmaking skills, creating chances for his teammates. Would it be a surprise if he made his NHL debut this year? I don’t think so, particularly given his skating and how the Avs play. He’s on the rise in the organization.

Andreas Wingerli – Put at center by management, he had a much better second game than first, like most of the team. Despite his lack of size, he does show a good bit of feistiness and isn’t afraid to get his nose dirty, even if he may not always come out with the puck.

He seems to be a pretty smart player as well, as he was already moving himself high in the offensive zone into the position we often find Nathan MacKinnon. He’s no MacKinnon (obviously) but he’ll be someone to watch in camp, as he’s an older player with pro experience already.

MIDDLE OF THE ROAD

Sampo Ranta – There were things to like this weekend with Ranta, particularly his work on the forecheck and physicality. He’s a really strong skater and can close on defensemen fast, causing them to turn the puck over due to pressure. My main concern with him, beyond his defensive game (which we also saw needs work), is his IQ in the offensive zone.

He had a handful of turnovers in the offensive zone, including a behind-the-back pass to no one that led to an easy breakout. One thing I didn’t expect to see was him losing puck battles along the walls, which happened a few times. He’s too big and strong to see that happen. He looks like a guy who needs some time in the AHL, but there’s nothing wrong with that. There’s a lot to like about the player, and just has a few things that need work.

Justin Barron – There don’t really seem to be any concerns about Barron on the offensive end. He looked really comfortable in the offensive zone, with his heavy shot forcing a rebound and a goal for the Avs in the Monday game. He also seemed at home running the powerplay from the point.

The issue is more in the defensive zone, and something that he (like most young defensemen) will need to work on. He was a little too easy to play against given his size. In the intrasquad scrimmage last week, he showed some physicality along the wall, but that wasn’t too noticeable in the tournament. He looks well on track to be an NHL player, but just some things to iron out as he moves onto professional hockey full-time this year.

Justus Annunen – The rebound control was a little iffy in his one game, but the Avs really hung him out to dry against LA and he did his best to keep them in the game as long as he could. Given the Kings were credited with 47 shots on goal and only picked up four goals, he didn’t do too bad, and he did flash the leather quite a few times. Unfortunately, the big problem was when he left the net.

A turnover behind his own net led to the third Kings goal, and then he wandered out of his net just a little too far on the fourth one, giving the Kings another easy goal. I guess the moral of this story is for him to just stay in net because there’s a lot for Jussi Parkila and company to work with her as he enters his first full season in North America.

WORK TO DO

Oskar Olausson – Having just come to North America for the first time, struggles should have been expected, but this tournament was a good indication that the OHL really was the only choice for his development path this year. The skill with the puck is evident, and even though he didn’t score, you could see he has a lot of confidence in his shot, but he was just taking too long to make decisions when the puck came to him and struggled to use his linemates effectively.

Some of that could just be adjusting to having less time and space in North America, and that’s completely fine. He’ll go to Barrie for the year and come back better. There wasn’t really any pressure on him in this camp, as it was more about teaching him and getting him acclimated to a different style of game than what he saw in Sweden.

Nate Clurman – I think he showed enough defensively to keep you intrigued and he seems to be a good skater, but there were quite a few issues with the puck on his stick in terms of reads and just overall puck skill that I’m not sure how much of an NHL future he really has. Given he was one of the older guys in the tournament at 23-years-old, you would have wanted to see a little more out of him than what we saw.