Finally we're back with the prospect countdown series! It's been a long summer and I really wish I could've gotten these up sooner, but I suppose it's better late than never. Any ways, here we go!





Some quick notes worth pointing out to start this countdown, is who the heck is considered a "Prospect". For consistency purpose I created the following criteria. They must be a part of the Avalanche organization. (Obviously). They do not have to be signed but their rights must be owned by the club. They can play in any league except for the NHL. This rules out guys like Cale Makar. They must have played less than 30 regular season games for the Avs, sorry AJ Greer. They must also be under the age of 23 as of now, sorry Ryan Graves. And those right there are the basic requirements.





Lastly before we start, I wanted to give a quick shout out to the guys who barely missed my list. I went back and forth especially on the last 4 spots and with the guys I left off the list, but hey... this is an Avs fan blog, so I don't think anyone is going to get upset since this means absolutely nothing. Guys that I liked that were left off of the list include Luka Burzan, Trent Miner, Shamill Shmakov, Denis Smirnov and Nate Clurman. Guys that could potentially work themselves into next years debate for sure.





Sasha Mutala was apart of this past 2019 draft class for the Avs. He was selected in the 5th round with the 140th overall selection. It was the 6th pick that the Avs made in Vancouver as a part of that class. The Right Winger was selected from the Tri City Americans out of the Western Hockey League.





Mutala just turned 18 this past May leading right up into the draft. For such a young age, the physical gifts and tools are already very much so present. He is 6'1" 198lbs according to Elite Prospects (who's measurements of payers I tend to trust the most over the years, especially with prospects). The Vancouver, British Columbia Native nearly doubled his goal total from year 1 to year 2 of his playing experience in the WHL. He saw his 11 goals in 17-18 jump to 20 goals in the 18-19 campaign. He was also given an Alternate Captaincy for his hard work, dedication and leadership he provided for the club. He was also able to increase his point total from 26 points to 41 points. Not a massive increase, but it is worth noting that he did this in 3 less games his second year, 65 games compared to 68 games in his "freshman" season.





This is a guy that has all the tools and physical gifts from the man upstairs that you would like out of a prospect. Especially one you are getting in the 5th round, way outside the top 100 picks. He has shown great speed, especially during his appearance at the Avs rookie camp this past summer. Avs fans that were in attendance then were really in for a treat. Mutala was absolutely buzzing out there and was really making a name for himself in a short amount of time. However with all of his physical gifts there are some concerns. As with any player that falls to 140th overall in the draft. His overall level of skill and how it will potentially translate (or not) to the NHL and even the pro game in general. With his size playing against much smaller competition many times, you would really like to see him use his physical tools outside of his speed more often. His ability to do so would really help him take over games on a more consistent basis in the WHL.





His play offensively is inconsistent but he does show the ability that makes me think he will have a breakout year this year for Tri City. Returning as a Captain and having two years under his belt he will be given even more opportunities by the team to be one of the production leaders. I really do think he is primed for a breakout year. There is absolutely no reason he should not be 30+ goal scorer and point per game player. I 100% expect that out of him as should the organization. Mutala is a raw prospect but I don't think it is out of the question that he can put it together and this upcoming season would be a great starting point for that. Tri-City will certainly be relying on him.





As far as a pure prospect goes, Mutala is definitely more of a goal scorer than a playmaker. His playmaking abilities or lack there of are what are the biggest concerns to me about his game. Hockey IQ doesn't seem to be a concern but it does not stand out as something that will separate him in a positive way from other prospects. Overall pretty decent to average as far as that is concerned. While his shot is not elite it really is a strong part of his game. You can tell it can catch a lot of WHL goalies off guard when it jumps off of his stick. Certainly something that he can work with in the future without a doubt. However, bar none the thing that I love most about this kids game is his skating. He was skating circles around some of the guys at Avs rookie camp. He was all over the place. he had very good strides and great acceleration and bursts of speed. You could easily tell he was well ahead of a few guys that were out at camp. While his skating isn't while his skating isn't perfect and we will need to continue to develop it, it is certainly something that scouts love to see.





At the end of the day, this season will be critical one for Mutala and his development. Overall I am excited for this kid. I'd be shocked if at the bare minimum he doesn't pot 30 goals and at least hover close to a point per game. His experience and opportunity combined with his size and skating ability will be just too much for him not too barring any serious injury. This is a guy that has another 2 years in the WHL to really start hitting his stride ad developing which is also very encouraging. He has all the tools and his skating makes me think that he should finish out his WHL career as a dominant player. I believe he is a guy that should be putting his name in discussions for contract talks at the end of the 2021 season for sure. He is the type of guy you can see playing for the Eagles in a few seasons, as are most of these guys on the list that will be coming up in the next few days and weeks. For me the biggest thing holding him back is his skill. As of now he just hasn't shown that it is all there for the type of game that he is trying to play. however his size doesn't not prevent him from being able to move around a lineup if he is willing to put the work in at the pro level in other parts of his game. Unfortunately pure skill level that translates to the pro game rarely develops over night. Luckily enough though, for a 5th round pick the Avs aren't out much if he doesn't. If all goes well I think you are looking at a 3rd line goal scorer if he can put it together and gets a few bounces along the way.





I really liked this pick this past June and while I only have Mutala ranked as 20th on this list, he is someone who I had higher in a lot of different mock rankings. In all honesty he is just one of those guys that I need to see more out of, however he is one the prospects I will be keeping an eye on the closest. He is primed for a dynamite season in the WHL. If you can, definitely keep an eye out for this kid.