Where do the kids play next year?

[Northern Avs Fan]

Bowen Byram, Martin Kaut, Connor Timmins, and Shane Bowers progressed nicely last season.

How many of them do you see making the jump to the big club? And what are your expectations for them?

Click to read more...

 

[Linds]

Byram 3rd paring nhl opening night, kaut 4th line nhl opening night, Timmins and Bowers AHL opening night, but will both be the first call ups for their respective positions

 

[Brett44]

Byram should play in Europe it's will be the best option for him(shl or NLA )
Timmins NHL
Bowers AHL
Kaut Nhl 3rd line
LOC Nhl 4th line or 13th forward

 

[dahrougem2]

Byram *should* play in the AHL. I think they'll give him every opportunity to make the team but I think that he will be in the AHL. Timmins, on the other hand, I believe will start in the NHL on the 3rd pairing with Cole.

Martin Kaut will play in the AHL to start. Probably ends up as the 1st call up and who knows if he sticks full time after that, but he isn't making the opening night roster.

Logan O'Connor is probably LBN's replacement, so he starts on the 4th liner and is probably asked to learn how to PK so he can occupy that role.

Shane Bowers is probably in the AHL for another full season next year.

 

[Richard88]

Byram *should* play in the AHL. I think they'll give him every opportunity to make the team but I think that he will be in the AHL. Timmins, on the other hand, I believe will start in the NHL on the 3rd pairing with Cole.

Martin Kaut will play in the AHL to start. Probably ends up as the 1st call up and who knows if he sticks full time after that, but he isn't making the opening night roster.

Logan O'Connor is probably LBN's replacement, so he starts on the 4th liner and is probably asked to learn how to PK so he can occupy that role.

Shane Bowers is probably in the AHL for another full season next year.

I agree that the AHL would be an ideal stepping stone for Byram, but unfortunately he won't be allowed to play in the AHL due to how the NHL/juniors rules are set up. As such it's either NHL or back to the WHL for him, and the most logical solution is NHL 3rd pairing.

Playing in Europe might have been a tiny possibility, but the societal uncertainty lately have all but ended any such ideas.

 

[CB Joe]

It would be nice to have Byram and Timmins on the NHL roster. I guess that will depend on what happens with Zadorov, Graves and Cole.
Bowers should be in the AHL full time.
I'm undecided on Kaut. I think I would prefer him getting big minutes in the AHL over 4th line minutes in the NHL. Call him up if/when injuries happen.

 

[Richard88]

Bowen Byram, Martin Kaut, Connor Timmins, and Shane Bowers progressed nicely last season.

How many of them do you see making the jump to the big club? And what are your expectations for them?

This is how I see the lineup shaking out with regards to the rookies:

Landeskog ---- Mackinnon ---- Rantanen
Nichuskin ------- Kadri -------- Burakovksy
Donskoi ------- Compher ------ Namestnikov/Jost
Calvert -------- Bellemare ------ Kaut
O'Connor

• Nieto and Wilson move on in UFA.

• One of Namestnikov or Jost stays. I think Namestnikov will ask for more term than Sakic wants to give him and he signs elsewhere. If we do resign Namestnikov though (or sign another UFA forward) then that'll certainly mean that Jost gets traded.

• Kaut will have a regular spot in the bottom 6 to start the season. He could start on the 4th line with added PP2 minutes and work his way up (perhaps as high as the 2nd line) depending on injuries and who he develops chemistry with.

• O'Connor will be our 13th forward. If he can develop into a good PK'er he'll have a good chance of sticking going forwards.

• Bowers will get a full season in the AHL, albeit with a 9 game call up like Kaut this year. His development timeline lines up with Bellemare and Calvert exiting in UFA in 2021.

Graves --- Makar
Girard --- Johnson
Byram --- Cole
7D (Macdonald?)

• Zadorov traded for futures, and Barberio walks in UFA.

• Byram --- He has nothing left to prove in the WHL so he'll make the jump and play sheltered minutes on the 3rd pairing, along with time on PP2. I'd expect him to get opportunities next to Makar and Johnson as the seasons unfolds.

• Timmins - He's probably good enough to make the jump to start the season in the NHL, but ideally we need a veteran next to Byram and for that reason Timmins starts in the AHL. That said, I could see him getting a call up mid-season (once Byram has settled) and knocking Cole down to 7D.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

This is an unintentionally loaded question.


Because... depending on how the next few months play out I would not be overly surprised if some of the lower leagues like the CHL, and NCAA end up having to at least delay a start to its next season once again. If experts prove to be right(I'm a skeptic), we're potentially looking at another wave of Covid again in the fall, with the 1st wave still having lingering effects and hot spot zones as well at that point.

Considering theres talk among universities in Canada of offering only online courses next year, with some already saying that's all they are doing.

Who knows what hockey for next year will ultimately bring. If we do get hit with a 2nd wave we could see leagues shut down for the entire season again.


I almost wonder if the NHL isn't pushing a bit harder to get the 2020 Stanley cup awarded out of fear that we ultimately lose the 2021 season entirely. We have a small pocket right now where conditions are reaching a safety level to get the rest of the the season finished. But of a 2md wave hits the entire 2020/21 season would be in jeopardy IMO. And obviously the lower leagues like the CHL and NCAA will be the ones to lose the year first.


So I think the question the OP is asking is a bit of a loaded question.

 

[Murzu]

Byram should play in Europe it's will be the best option for him(shl or NLA )
Timmins NHL
Bowers AHL
Kaut Nhl 3rd line
LOC Nhl 4th line or 13th forward

Rather him play in Liiga than SHL orbNLA. Smaller rink, more physicality and quicker pace.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Byram - NHL

Bowers - Full season in the AHL learning to play centre at the pro level. Remember he’s currently a winger despite where he played all his life. 1st line/2nd line centre for a full season.

Timmins - Depends on our blue line setup but I think he’s our #6D next year.

Kaut - Back and forth. Play on the wing in the AHL with Bowers when healthy but his versatility and all round game should make him the first winger call up. He can plug a hole anywhere in the Winger group beyond the first line.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Byram can’t play in Europe, he actually is contracted to play in the WHL unless it’s the NHL of course.

The NHL will have a season but I agree the other leagues are up in the air, the NHL might have to subsidize the AHL, and the CHL or the Canadian government. If there’s no NCAA then guys like Newhook and Ranta might depart.

But in the spirit of the question....

Byram NHL: It actually might be safer for the Avs to keep him rather than send him back to the uncertainty of what the WHL is doing and NHL’s safety standards will be much higher. They just need to commit to keeping him and easing him along. And no I do not want a 19 year old spending a whole year in the AHL.

Kaut: I won’t fully believe they’ll make a spot for him until they don’t have their typical vet offseason purchases. He should spend the majority of the season in the NHL. The first call up thing is mythical BS but in this case maybe it will actually happen. Also, perhaps the NHL will be allowed expanded rosters since the risk factor shuttling guys back and forth from the AHL isn’t great.

Timmins and Bowers: Small number of callups, if they are even deemed safe to do so.

LOC: I do see the possibility he’s the 13th forward if they get rid of Kamenev and don’t sign a bunch of vets.

There is also no big minutes in the AHL for prospects, those are given to vets. The first rounders eventually get given a few more hats to wear but they are never top line/pair players. The other prospects are exclusively 4th liners.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

I think what’s really going to be fascinating to watch is what the Avs do late next season.

I could see Newhook jumping up for the playoffs, like Makar did last season.

I’d be surprised if Bowers made the big club, though I was impressed with his progression this season.

One of Byram, or Timmins is going to make the team. It’s unlikely both do, but if they are exceptional in camp you could see

Graves - Makar
Girard - Timmins
Byram - EJ

I think Kaut’s status with the team depends on how aggressive Sakic is in the off-season.

If Sakic resigns Namesntikov, or makes a trade for a top-6 winger, Kaut probably plays the year in the AHL.

I didn’t mention LOC in the original post, but I could see him replacing Nieto on the 4th line.

 

[henchman21]

Byram will be in the NHL. Newhook will be in the NCAA if they have a season, AHL with spurts in the NHL if not. Bowers will almost certainly be in the AHL. Avs really need him at center long term, and will push for that. Timmins will be in the AHL until injuries, then likely stick in the NHL sometime mid season. Kaut and LOC will be in the NHL... maybe not every night sorts of players, but on the 3rd/4th line with regularity.

 

[Ararana]

My bets are Byram and Kaut take Zadorov and Nieto's spots. Timmins and Bowers start in the AHL, if there is one, and will most likely get a call up or two.

 

[Foppa2118]

In order of likelihood IMO.

Kaut makes bottom six to start season

Timmins makes D to start season
Byram makes D to start season



Bowers makes 4C to start season (he's the only one of the four I think is a good bet to start in the AHL)