Prospect Info: 2019-20 Prospects Thread (CHL, NCAA, Junior A, Europe)

[TruePowerSlave]

The Avs pool was fabulous for a contending team after the draft. Now that Makar has graduated it's nothing special, but still a nice looking group for a team that is near the top of the standings.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

There is a lack of 'legit' talent in the Avs' pool. You now basically have 3 pieces that have a realistic shot at top6/top4 sort of potential and only a couple pieces beyond them that project into a 3rd line/bottom pairing role. Beyond that you have some depth that doesn't even have the safety of making the NHL. IMO people see the Avs' prospect pool rankings and think it is completely flush with talent... it had two very high end/elite prospects and 2 solid prospects. One of the elite graduated, so now, it is a much more average NHL pool. In an average pool, a player like Newhook is going to be somewhere 2nd to 5th. If he's the top prospect, the pool is very weak, if he's 5th or lower, you have a super deep pool.

This is a bit of a cop out just based on ease of posting the rankings, but here is Pronman's prior to the season:
2019 NHL farm system rankings: No. 2 Colorado Avalanche

You have two elite in Makar and Byram, then one high end in Newhook, then three legit in Kamenev, Bowers and Beaucage. Timmins was a legit/change bubble guy for him.

Right away Makar and Kam will graduate. Knocking off two of the top 5. Knocking his list to 4 prospects to legit or better. The Flyers were ranked #7 and had 11 legit or better prospects (2 will likely graduate). Arizona ranked 17 and they had 8 legit or better prospects. 3 were traded in the Hall deal and Hayton will graduate, which will leave them right with the Avs. Tampa all the way at 23rd in his rankings had 11 legit prospects, one may graduate.

I hope people are seeing my point here, it isn't that the Avs have a bad pool, but it is a top heavy pool and that shot them up the rankings. The depth beyond our top 3 is rather lean compared to those around the league. If Annunen keeps up his play to round out the year, I think you'll fairly see him elevated into that top 3 group... beyond them though, it is a pure pick 'em of questionable prospects with flaws.

The good news is that our core is still 24 and under. Fans will freak out when we drop to the bottom 10 in prospect rankings next year despite our young assets still be unbelievable.

 

[henchman21]

The good news is that our core is still 24 and under. Fans will freak out when we drop to the bottom 10 in prospect rankings next year despite our young assets still be unbelievable.

Yup and that is why I hate ranking prospect pools instead of young cores.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Using Pronmans "tiers" for prospects, the Avs had 7 legit or better last year which included:

Makar
Byram
Newhook
Kaut
Kamenev
Bowers
Beaucage



I think it's pretty fair to suggest the Avs should still have 7, possibly more than 7, when he does his rankings again next summer.


Timmins should absolutely jump up into the legit tier at least. I suspect the reason he wasn't higher before was the concern around his concussion and how that lost year of development would effect him but he should have those concerns silenced by now.

Beyond Timmins, I would argue that both Annunen, and Kovalenko are also doing enough good things that they both should be considered legit NHL prospects at this point also.


On the flip side, Makar and Kamenev both graduate. And Kaut with his struggles may very well drop down to the "bubble tier"


I think the Avs prospect pool will take a hit because arguably the best prospect in the world just graduated from our system. But I do think a number of our "depth" pieces have shown real well this year and moved up the ladder so to speak.

Annunen, Kovalenko, LOC, Mutala... even guys like Zhurvlyov and Beaucage are having strong years and certainly not hurting themselves.


If they continue building the rest of the season, I still think the Avs will be a Top 16 pool. Certainly not #2 and that #2 spot was a little misleading because of Cale and Bo... but I think we still have a Top half kind of pool.

 

[henchman21]

Avs will still be a top 10 pool simply because of Byram. They could be down to 4 'legit' and still be high because of Byram. When Bryam graduates, they will fall into the late teens unless the Avs have another top ~5-7 pick (which a different problem crops up if that happens).

 

[Hasbro]

For me there's not fixating on a single prospect drafted out of the reaching his potential if they haven't established themselves yet, but rather looking at the group and hoping a certain number does.

Out of the Forward prospect enough are doing well I don't think one becoming a good 3rd liner at least is unrealistic and 2 hitting that level doesn't seem delusional.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

I know a lot of questions exist around Beaucage's skating.... But man he is having one hell of a D+1 season all the same.

2 Goals tonight puts him up to 28 in 34 games now. 3 back of Cedric Pare for the league lead, who is an overager playing with Lafrenniere. He has a 4 goal lead on the next closest guy Igor Sokolov. I think he's a dark horse contender for Team Canada at the world Juniors next year honestly if he keeps this up.

The last time a player in the Q scored 50+ goals as an 18 year old was back in 2013/14 when Duclair(50)did it. Mantha did it that year as a 19 year old and nobody since then has done it under 20.

After tonight Beaucage is on pace for 56.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

I know a lot of questions exist around Beaucage's skating.... But man he is having one hell of a D+1 season all the same.

2 Goals tonight puts him up to 28 in 34 games now. 3 back of Cedric Pare for the league lead, who is an overager playing with Lafrenniere. He has a 4 goal lead on the next closest guy Igor Sokolov. I think he's a dark horse contender for Team Canada at the world Juniors next year honestly if he keeps this up.

The last time a player in the Q scored 50+ goals as an 18 year old was back in 2013/14 when Duclair(50)did it. Mantha did it that year as a 19 year old and nobody since then has done it under 20.

After tonight Beaucage is on pace for 56.

I legit didn't realize how young he was. For some reason I thought he was a late 00 birthday. Maybe because that has been a trend with Avs CHL picks lately. Beaucage was one of the youngest players drafted last year. I know he can't skate but man thats a lot of goals for a kid who will play the entire season at 18.

 

[Caser]

 

[Foppa2118]

Damn what a bullet. The goalie came out to cut down the angle and he still beat him far side from the top of the circle.

 

[Pokecheque]

Total side note: It's my sincere hope that the Avs draft Gunnarwolfe Fontaine and invite Nando Eggenberger to training camp. They really need to spruce up the names in the system. Surely there's a Finn or two with, like, ten umlauts in his first name alone.

 

[Metallo]

Total side note: It's my sincere hope that the Avs draft Gunnarwolfe Fontaine and invite Nando Eggenberger to training camp. They really need to spruce up the names in the system. Surely there's a Finn or two with, like, ten umlauts in his first name alone.

I have a hard time believing these are not made up names.

 

[UncleRisto]

Total side note: It's my sincere hope that the Avs draft Gunnarwolfe Fontaine and invite Nando Eggenberger to training camp. They really need to spruce up the names in the system. Surely there's a Finn or two with, like, ten umlauts in his first name alone.

It's a little disappointing. There's another Määttä but that's boring. Roby Järventie who's a good prospect. Then a goaltender named Riku Räihä, who's a bad prospect.

 

[cgf]

It's a little disappointing. There's another Määttä but that's boring. Roby Järventie who's a good prospect. Then a goaltender named Riku Räihä, who's a bad prospect.

Robby's a prospect?

 

[Pokecheque]

I have a hard time believing these are not made up names.

The one NHL name that throws me off even more than those two is one that doesn't even seem that weird: Wade Megan. But it just sounds like some really bad author was trying to make up a character and just picked two of his friends.

 

[McMetal]

Gunnarwolfe Fontaine is an amazing name. Somehow, I am going to write a character into my new D&D campaign with that name. Don't know what yet, but it must happen.

Name sounds like it belongs to a dashing, roguish thief/con man who always ends up getting run out of town for seducing the local nobleman's daughter.

 

[cgf]

The one NHL name that throws me off even more than those two is one that doesn't even seem that weird: Wade Megan. But it just sounds like some really bad author was trying to make up a character and just picked two of his friends.

This...so much this. Wade Megan's name is proof that the NHL needs better writers

 

[Bubba Thudd]

Gunnarwolfe Fontaine is an amazing name. Somehow, I am going to write a character into my new D&D campaign with that name. Don't know what yet, but it must happen.

Name sounds like it belongs to a dashing, roguish thief/con man who always ends up getting run out of town for seducing the local nobleman's daughter.

Yeti Viking.

Maybe half-yeti.
That explains the funny Parisian last name.

If he employs the FootShield, he gets a bonus to his YetiStomp, which increases his chance to StartAvalanche.

 

[Metallo]

Gunnarwolfe Fontaine is an amazing name. Somehow, I am going to write a character into my new D&D campaign with that name. Don't know what yet, but it must happen.

Name sounds like it belongs to a dashing, roguish thief/con man who always ends up getting run out of town for seducing the local nobleman's daughter.

Lol! Yes with a thin curly mustache!

 

[Goulet17]

 

[Avs9296]

A little midseason break isn't the worst thing for a prospect who missed the entire year last year of playing.

Gives him a chance to recharge his batteries and go again for the 2nd half of the season.

 

[Foppa2118]

A little midseason break isn't the worst thing for a prospect who missed the entire year last year of playing.

Gives him a chance to recharge his batteries and go again for the 2nd half of the season.

I think it might prove beneficial for Makar too, if they can go deep in the playoffs.

 

[AllAboutAvs]

Having been away for a while I was looking at how our main prospects are doing lately. Except for Timmins being hurt for a while I was quite impressed by a few of them how they seem to be turning their game around.

Bowers: After a 0 pt in 7 games start he now has 11 pts in the next 15 games including 6 pts in the last 6 games.
Kaut: Small sample but he now has 2g 2a and +7 in his last 5 games.
Werner: 2.00 GAA and .946 SV% in his last 4 games. Currently 2.79 GAA and .914 SV% on the season.
Timmins was on a 3-game pointless streak prior to getting hurt but he has 9 pts in his last 11 games and 13 pts in 22 games for the season.

Hopefully the kids can keep it going for the rest of the season. It would be nice for our AHL team to finally have some success and maybe do a little damage in the playoffs.

 

[cgf]

Dunno if this or the around the NHL thread is the right thread but with me having watched almost no non-Avs hockey before this WJC, does anyone know how K'Andre Miller's doing this season?

He was a raw project that I was really high on; so I'm curious if those skills are continuing to come along or if he's taken a step back from his impressive campaign last year.

 

[Avs44]

Dunno if this or the around the NHL thread is the right thread but with me having watched almost no non-Avs hockey before this WJC, does anyone know how K'Andre Miller's doing this season?

He was a raw project that I was really high on; so I'm curious if those skills are continuing to come along or if he's taken a step back from his impressive campaign last year.

I'm hardly any good at analyzing prospects so take everything with a dump-truck load of salt, but I've caught a few Wisconsin games this year and he honestly looks like a bit of a project. He reminds me of Zadorov in some ways, actually...also Nurse. All of the physical talent is there to be a top pairing guy (or more), but his defensive decision making is perpetually questionable, same as it was during some of those WJC games. Caught running around, drifting out of passing lanes, unsure of how to consistently use his size to push guys off the puck around the boards. The fact that he played forward until 16 really shows, I don't think he fully grasps what he's supposed to do in his own end. I think the hype last season might have pushed expectations a little too high, he looks a couple years away at least to me.