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Shane Bowers expected to return to school

AJ Haefele Avatar
March 26, 2019

With college hockey moving into its own March Madness stage upon the announcement of the NCAA tournament bracket Sunday night, it’s the time of year where players from teams whose season is completed begin making decisions on their future.

One of those players is Boston University forward Shane Bowers, who was a first round selection by the Ottawa Senators in 2017 before being traded to Colorado in the Matt Duchene deal. BSN Denver has learned Bowers is expected to be returning to school for his junior season, ending the speculation that he may join the Colorado Eagles for their potential postseason run.

Bowers certainly did not answer all of the questions he faced entering his sophomore season as it was going to be interesting to see what became of his offensive production after last year’s fourth overall pick, Brady Tkachuk, was no longer flanking him on the wing. Following a freshman season in which Bowers produced 32 (17g, 15a) points in 40 games, his numbers this year dipped to just 21 (11g, 10a) points in 37 games. Bowers also appeared for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships, recording two assists in five games while primarily playing on the fourth line.

It was a slow start for Bowers this season and a disappointing year overall for the Terriers. Traditionally one of college hockey’s powerhouses, BU missed the tournament this year and then saw an exodus of talent to various NHL teams. There was enough turmoil this year that Bowers QMJHL’s rights were traded to the Drummondville Voltigeurs and there was a lot of speculation he would leave school and join them for a playoff run this year. Instead, Bowers stayed through the season and now Bowers is one of the few drafted Terriers who elected to stay. He will be given top center responsibilities next season and be the centerpiece of a rebuilding Terriers team.

At development camp last season, Bowers expressed a desire to play one more year of college hockey before turning pro and beginning the next stages of his career. Given the disappointing season had by him and his team overall, his decision to return to school for one more bite at the apple might serve him best long-term. Avs fans might remember something similar happened when J.T. Compher took a similar step back in the stats department in his sophomore year before exploding in his junior year as part of Michigan’s dominant “CCM” line and signing with Colorado that summer.

While the offense took a step back for Bowers, his value has long been tied to his two-way ability and his future profile likely lands as a potential replacement for Carl Soderberg, whose five-year contract with the Avalanche ends at the end of the 2019-20 season. Bowers is arguably the top forward prospect in the Avalanche system alongside Martin Kaut, who has enjoyed a nice rookie season in the AHL.

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