What to watch from the Avalanche rookies this weekend

The Avalanche rookies are in Arizona today to begin their participation in this year’s Rookie Tournament. Colorado plays three games in the next four days, beginning with an afternoon rumble against the Los Angeles Kings later today.

In the past, the Avs have usually brought a small group of intriguing pro players and then predominantly long-term prospects and the typical assortment of tryout players.

This year, however, Colorado has assembled a pretty loaded roster with several players who could reasonably see extended action in the NHL. That’s as good a place to start as any as we look at what to keep an eye on over the next four days.

The NHLers

Bowen Byram – The one with extended NHL looks, Byram is arguably Colorado’s top prospect and would be expected to be a much bigger impact on the NHL roster if the Avalanche defense was not considered one of the NHL’s very best.

From the perspective of this weekend, however, we don’t expect to see Byram play too much outside of a tune-up game. He doesn’t have anything to prove here and this is more about him staying healthy and getting a little head start on next week’s NHL training camp.

Alex Newhook – Like Byram, Newhook is expected to be an NHL regular this season. Unlike Byram, however, there is a little skin in the game for him this weekend. A poor showing won’t mean he doesn’t make the big club, of course, but it might limit the expectations they have of him going into training camp next week.

Newhook annihilated the very controlled setting of development camp this week and he should use that as a launchpad for him to be one of the more dangerous players in the game(s) he actually plays in.

The AHLers

Sampo Ranta – Ranta, like a few of the other guys in this category, has a chance to break camp with the NHL club but has a lot of work to do to make that happen. Ranta is a physical force and his combination of size, skating, and skill should separate him this weekend.

Ranta doesn’t need to dominate but he should not be significantly slowed down by the weak defenses he will see. He was slow to learn at the University of Minnesota that he could simply power through opposing players; his learning curve in pro hockey needs to be significantly more accelerated than that, especially if he’s going to see NHL ice time again this year. Of the guys not taken in the first round, he is THE player to watch for the Avs.

Shane Bowers – It’s just time for Bowers. The Avalanche staff has been vocal in defending what has been a slower development path for Bowers but the organization is so deep at forward at the AHL level now that it’s tougher than ever for Bowers to stand out.

He’s older than lots of guys at this tournament and he’s still latching on to the little things. This is the first guy who absolutely needs a good weekend. It’s hard to make a case that he’s even on the club’s radar for an NHL call-up at some point because they’ve brought in so many players at forward and guys like Newhook and Ranta immediately jumped him in the pecking order.

Bowers is a high-IQ player with good physical tools but his actual skill level has consistently held him back from putting up big numbers at any level, even going back to the USHL. His commitment to the details is great and a coach’s dream, but he needs to show he can change a game at this level. He should be too good for this tournament and if he’s not, it’s a major red flag.

Justin Barron – He’s a high-profile guy as a recent first-rounder but he has just seven pro games under his belt. He’s not ready to push for the NHL and, frankly, the group on the Avs doesn’t really need him just yet.

All of it adds up to a low-pressure environment for Barron this weekend. He can just go out and do his thing and get ready to play big minutes this year for the Colorado Eagles. He is a player to watch simply because of his ability to change games but with Byram around, he might end up taking a bit of a backseat, especially if they’re paired together (as is expected for at least one game).

Jean-Luc Foudy – Last year’s unexpected darling at the AHL level, Foudy is now living the good life as an exemption is allowing him to return to the AHL despite being too young for the league under normal circumstances.

Foudy was a surprise last year simply because teenagers in the AHL rarely find success but especially 18-year-olds fresh out of the draft who weren’t picked in round one. Foudy’s elite skating and high-end vision make him a dynamic playmaker who looks to elevate those around him.

After a year of working the 3C job for the Eagles, Foudy’s defensive game has started to round into form and that is a logical direction for his career to continue trending. His shot remains a real problem but if there’s a guy on this list capable of making highlight-reel plays, it’s Foudy (and Ranta, for sure). He should get lots of minutes and opportunities to showcase how far he’s come in just one year.

Andreas Wingerli – The Swedish import is trying to prove to the Avalanche brass that he can be the pocket-size version of Matt Calvert and this weekend’s games will be an important litmus test for him.

Wingerli showed an intriguing combination of speed, skill, and polish at development camp but needs to translate that into game action. If Wingerli can make an impact on the penalty kill, he’ll really put himself on the radar to get an extended preseason look with the Avalanche.

Alex Beaucage – Normally prospects who score at a goal-per-game pace generate more hype but Beaucage’s shortened QMJHL season combined with, well, the list above, means he’s flying a bit under the radar right now.

Of the players on this list, he (along with Foudy, really) has the lowest chance to play in the NHL this year but that’s okay. He’s transitioning into pro hockey and has major holes in his game, namely his skating.

His shot is already NHL-caliber but how he utilizes it in the tighter confines of the AHL is a storyline to watch and that begins this weekend. He’s an intriguing prospect for plenty of reasons but this is a longer development track.

Nate Clurman – Like Beaucage, there’s not much hype attached to Clurman. Unlike Beaucage, there isn’t a clear skill that Clurman possesses that you can dream on as the thing to propel him to the NHL someday.

Coming into his first pro season, Clurman has taken a very circuitous route just to get here. Drafted out of a prep school, he returned there (much to the dismay of the Avalanche) before embarking on his USHL and NCAA careers.

Now with the Eagles, Clurman isn’t a prospect who wows you with anything in his game but he has good size and after a three-year career at Notre Dame (one of which as the captain), he has a good understanding of how to be an effective defenseman in his own zone.

Is there any offense there? Are there any standout skills? Can he continue to climb the organizational ladder? This weekend will be our first extended look at a player who was drafted five years ago.

Nick Henry – Is he healthy? He wore a non-contact jersey throughout development camp and then did not participate in the 4v4 game two nights ago. What’s his status? He’s already on the fringe of the AHL roster as it is and doesn’t need any kind of setbacks to open the door for the Sasha Mutala (read: AHL contracts) types.

The One Guy Who Doesn’t Fit The Other Categories

Oskar Olausson – Olausson is the only player from Colorado’s most recent draft class currently present at this tournament. The other three are college players who were not able to attend, giving Olausson a unique position here.

He is the top pick of Colorado’s 2021 draft class and is the only player in their entire system who will be playing in the CHL this year. He’s headed to Barrie of the OHL whenever the Avs cut him from NHL camp, a situation that should be great for his development.

Olausson was just okay in development camp and got worked in the 4v4 game, most notably by Wingerli. He has a lot of room for improvement from that performance to this weekend and it will be interesting to see his fun blend of size, skating, especially if he’s paired with Newhook and Bowers.

There’s essentially nothing on the line for Olausson. He’s already signed his ELC and knows he’s off to the OHL whenever this ride ends and is not in real contention for the NHL roster. Without any real pressure to perform this weekend, it will be interesting to see if Olausson pushes himself or if he takes his foot off the gas and coasts.

The Hopefuls

Sasha Mutala – Drafted by the Avs but then not given an ELC last year, Mutala re-entered the draft and was not selected this time around. Mutala is on an AHL deal with the Eagles and is likely ticketed for plenty of time with the Utah Grizzlies, but a strong showing here could be a jumpstart to him chasing down an ELC someday.

He lacks physical strength but is a player who does everything well, so keep an eye on him.

Jack O’Brien – The local boy from Denver, O’Brien had a peculiar season with the WHL bubble greatly limiting his ability to showcase himself in his first draft year. O’Brien had flashes at development camp and is one of the youngest camp invites the Avs have ever had.

He was very likely on their draft list last year and was a priority invite to this camp. A good performance might lead to them deciding to give him an ELC versus letting him take his chance in the draft next year.

Graham Sward – Another WHL invite (sensing a theme yet?), Sward is an intriguing player who had a solid development camp. This is an Avalanche defense that is set at the NHL level for years to come but the depth is a major question mark moving forward.

The only real prospects on the horizon are Drew Helleson, Sean Behrens, and maybe Danila Zhurayvlov if he’s interested in leaving the KHL. That’s about it for defense prospects not in the NHL or AHL already. That means an open door for a guy like Sward to step in and make an impression.

All of this could apply to fellow ATO defensemen Mitchell Smith, Rhett Rhinehart, or Nicolas Savoie but I didn’t see much encouraging from them during camp so they’re more in the “have to do something awesome to get noticed” part of my brain right now.

Tarun Fizer – Fizer had a good week at development camp and showed off some intriguing offensive skills. The third game is usually the one the Avs sit the big guns so that might be his best chance to really show off what he can do. He was a point-per-game player for Victoria of the WHL (shocker, right?) last year so this isn’t a player without some ability.

Ryan Hofer – A deeper cut here, Hofer comes from the MJHL and WHL. He’s a bigger body at a slender 6’3″ but he flashed some at development camp. I want to see him in actual game situations but he could be a nice find, too.

The Goalies

Justus Annunen – It’s been a few years of slow-building hype for the squirrel-cheeked Finn but he’s finally here in North America to stay. He is the most hyped goalie prospect since Calvin Pickard and there are real questions about his ultimate upside as well as where he’s even going to play this season with an organizational depth chart at goaltender that is completely full.

Annunen is the clear-cut best goalie (from Colorado) at this tournament in the Avalanche staff’s eyes so keep an eye on his usage. Expectations are high for him but a full depth chart and hard-charging Trent Miner mean Annunen cannot take this experience lightly.

Trent Miner – Miner was a very well-liked pick in the seventh round of the 2019 NHL Draft but his D+1 year was nothing short of a major disappointment. COVID wrecked most of his D+2, but Miner was downright dominant during his WHL stint and was competitive when called upon to help the Eagles in the AHL.

It was a good enough performance to get Miner an ELC but he faces the same bloated depth chart as Annunen but is starting at the very bottom of the pack. He’s small for a goalie but he’s a battler.

Peyton Jones – He’s more of a hopeful but the Avs like him, having previously given him an ELC. He’s on an AHL contract now and facing a tough numbers game but the rumors of a potential taxi squad-style setup at goaltender again this year would open the door for Jones to stick somewhere in the organization.