Shane Bowers re-signs for one year with the Avs

On August 17th, the Avs announced that 23-year-old forward Shane Bowers has re-signed a 1-year, 2-way contract for the 2023 season. It comes with little surprise after Colorado extended the former first round pick a qualifying offer in July.

We do love our Halifax guys!#GoAvsGo https://t.co/nBsbufU3f6

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) August 18, 2022

He was the last of the remaining RFA’s to accept his offer after Mikhail Maltsev re-signed on July 27th to a 1-year, 2-way contract worth $800,000 at the NHL level and $200,000 at the AHL level with a $250,000 guarantee.

The slight lull in free agency further emphasized the delay in this signing as some speculated he might be weighing his options, but as an RFA, the signs pointed to his return. A flurry of COVID-19 interrupted seasons has done little to help curry favor with the parent club. After all, he’s appeared in 125 AHL games and has yet to make his NHL debut.

October packed a mean punch. He was placed in COVID protocols and went on to suffer a shoulder injury that would sideline him for two months. We started the Bowers conversation following his return and highlighted some of the things that set him apart as a player.

His journey to Colorado began with promise. Once a 28th overall pick in the 2017 draft, his rights were traded to the Avalanche in the three-way Matt Duchene trade. The Avs also recouped Bo Byram, Sam Girard, and Justus Annunen. Two have become Stanley Cup Champions, so it’s hardly a move to scoff at.

Even still, can the Avs maximize the Bowers component to the fullest or has he given all he can in Colorado? He’ll have another year to answer that question.

He closed out the regular season quietly. Weaving in and out of the bottom-6 as a healthy scratch at points, he became a convenient footnote alongside numbers that didn’t quite jump off the page. Through 37 games, he posted 6 goals and 3 assists. He’s a useful forward who spent most of the year playing left wing with the ability to slot in at center as needed.

In the Calder Cup playoffs, Bowers notably put on the good kind of weight. When he was deployed, he was effective – even in what was the Pacific Division final elimination game. At 6’2″ formerly 185 lbs., the added size was a necessary response to highly-physical teams that the Eagles faced at the tail-end of the season and throughout the playoffs. It will help to keep him competitive.

A lot of hard work went into this tie-breaking goal. Shane Bowers from Fontaine and Smith. pic.twitter.com/XFDfPmFpe2

— Meghan Angley (@megangley) March 19, 2022

He still has the speed and the hands. He doesn’t make risky decisions and overall plays a well-rounded game. His struggles have been two-fold with unfortunate shakes when it comes to his health and ultimately visibility in reasonably limited opportunities. Every minute played in the AHL is a chance to prove why he belongs in the NHL and his clock has been extended.

It won’t be easy. After completing the final year of his ELC, he will have to contend with waivers. His contract is projected to be 750K at the NHL level and 100K in the minors. The best-case scenario will be a strong showing in camp and preseason. Likely, he’ll enter both highly motivated. Outside of the questions at 2C, Colorado’s current forward group will be tough to crack even if he brings his best, but that’s the idea.

It’s reported that Avs GM Chris MacFarland feels good about the current roster construction, so this may be some of the last news before camp, but I’m not counting on it. With roughly 3.9M remaining in cap space, there is room to do something-something.