







I apologize for taking so much time between posts, life has kept me busy dealing some personal issues. The posts should start picking up here again soon.

Training camp is coming up this weekend for our beloved Avs I plan to to attend at least one of the days most likely Sunday ( here's the info if you are interested in watching, camp is open to the public and free ). I think this would be a good time to have an in depth look at the prospects the Avs picked in this years draft. Several of these prospect will be at camp this weekend as well.





All videos belong to YouTube and their respective creators stats and additional information pulled from www.eliteprospects.com





THE DRAFT: The Avs simultaneously had really good luck and bad luck in this's years draft. They held the top odds to win the draft lottery for the second time in 3 years, and for the second time in 3 years, they ended up with the 4th overall pick instead of the 1st. The difference this time, is that the 4th overall pick belonged to another team and was traded to the Avs for Matt Duchene (along with a whole plethora of other goodies).

The Avs also in an odd sense got lucky losing in the second round of the playoffs. Losing meant they would also claim the 16th overall pick (the highest possible draft pick for a team that made the playoffs) instead of the 28th-31st overall pick. I’m sure the Avs would have happily traded both picks for a Stanley Cup but the higher pick is a nice consolation prize.

Lets have a look at the draft picks the Avs made in this draft.





#4 Overall Bowen Byram D- Byram was, without question, the best defenseman in this draft. When the Chicago Blackhawks took Kirby Dach 3rd overall taking Byram was a no brainer. This kid is an extremely smart and fast defenseman with hands for days. He has absurd vision to go with unreal hands and speed. Frankly if he turns into anything less than a top pairing defenseman in the next 3 years it would be a disappointment to me. Byram will be at camp this weekend.





Bowen Byram Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6Um8vJ3kw8

Analysis: Byram is a force, some of the plays he makes here are absolutely filthy. He looks like a man among boys playing in the CHL. He’s extremely confident with the puck in all situations and has a deadly shot that commands respect. His shot really opens up a lot of space for him to make plays because it commands so much respect. He pushes the play well from his own zone and appears to be very seasoned defensively. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes and is the focal point of his entire team's offense. He also seems extremely comfortable with the puck on his stick. Lastly he doesn’t shy away from the physical side of the game and doesn’t seem intimidated by it at all. He will be a chore for any team to handle playing a solid 200 foot game. Its hard not to be excited for this kid to come play in Colorado.









#16 overall Alex Newhook C- A center of out of the BCHL (the same league current Av player Tyson Jost came from). He was captain of his squad and led the entire BCHL with a whopping 102 points in just 52 games. He is a very strong skater with an affinity for big situations. Ironically his closest comparable might be Tyson Jost but he is much more talented in the offensive zone. Newhook will take some time to develop and he’s committed to play in the NCAA next season, so don’t expect him to see him in an Avs uniform anytime soon. When the time comes however, I think we can expect good things from Newhook. Due to NCAA rules Newhook will not participating in training camp this weekend.





Alex Newhook Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdamURMh_RY

Analysis: Newhook clearly isn't afraid to shoot the puck, He excels at scoring with the puck on his stick. Watching the BCHL its hard to gauge how Newhook looks because the BCHL is a such a significant step below the CHL leagues. Newhook is a dominant force and seems to score at will. If he finds himself getting regular time in the NHL we can surely expect a good number of highlight reel goals from him. Playing in the NCAA this year will be a huge indicator of his development and I'm really excited to watch how he develops.









#47 overall Drew Helleson D- A big strong right-handed defenseman. Described as a strong defensive minded defenseman who doesn’t make very many mistakes. He is the kind of player that you don’t notice unless he makes a mistake, which is a good thing for every contender to have. Old time Avalanche fans will see a comparison of Adam Foote while newer fans will probably compare him to current alternate captain Erik Johnson. Helleson spent the last 2 years playing for the US national development program a program that has produced several great players including this years #1 overall pick Jack Hughes. I really like this pick. As Helleson will be joining an NCAA team this year he will not be at Avs training camp this weekend.

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Drew Helleson Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpBBA_RZOaA

Analysis: This video is a single game shift by shift so it's a smaller sample size (though a much longer video). Helleson is very strong with his stick . He reads the play very well and anticipates forwards fast enough to cut them off before entering the offensive zone. He has a good offensive instinct as you can see by the beautiful goal scored in the first period. He needs to work on his consistency and using his bigger frame more.









#63 overall Matthew Stienburg C- This pick is considered to be a bit of a reach by the experts and I’m inclined to agree with them. I’ve had a lot of trouble finding information about Stienburg who played for NSMMHL also known as the Nova Scotia Midget Major League. A few of the best hockey players in the world currently such as Brad Marchand and Sidney Crosby have played in this league so I will give the Avs scouting department benefit of the doubt on this pick. Steinberg intends to play for Cornell University this season which could be good for his development. Time will tell with this pick. Due to NCAA rules Steinburg will not be at Avs camp this weekend.





Matthew Stienburg Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF-pUOru0H4

Analysis: This is another shift by shift video. Stienburg really doesn't stand out here in any meaningful way to me. His hands need a lot of work and his passes are regularly off the mark. He gets beat several time in the defensive zone (though he does seem to kill penalties well). We will see on this one but I'm not terribly optimistic.









#78 overall Alex Beaucage LW- A big 18-year-old winger out of the Q, Beaucage put up a respectable 79 points in 68 games this year (this seems high but the QMJHL is traditionally the highest scoring of the 3 major Canadian Junior leagues). He is a big and skilled winger who can really develop into a great support piece for our forwards. He is one of the stronger picks the Avs made this year. Beaucage will be at Avs camp this weekend.





Alex Beaucage Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Myta4rBfyFM

Analysis: Beaucage looks like a big winger that can really make things happen in the offensive zone. He looks to be more a of a trigger-man than a setup guy which the Avs need more of. He is particularly deadly on the powerplay and has a very deceptive shooting style which tends to translate well into an NHL level game.









#140 overall Sasha Mutala LW- Mutala put up 41 points in 65 games in the WHL which is traditionally the lowest scoring of the 3 Canadian Junior leagues. He seems to be a solid player who could have an outside chance of making the team at some point in the future. I think he will likely be a solid AHL level player for us which is not always a bad thing in today's draft/develop style of NHL management. Mutala will be at camp this weekend.





Sasha Mutala highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mgmzsXafx8

Analysis: Mutala is a very flashy goal scorer with a lot of flair. He has a knack for finding the net, there really isn't much information on him and again time will tell with this one.









#171 overall Luke Burzan C- An older center out of the WHL I think Burzan has a very high upside to make the NHL someday. Burzan put up a respectable 78 points in 68 games for a Brandon Wheat Kings team that didn’t make the playoffs this year. A big player who is already 6’1 and 190 lbs at age 19. I think Burzan has a good shot to reach the NHL level in a few years an I’m honestly a little surprised he fell to the 6th round. He will be at camp this weekend.





Luke Burzan Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLz8ZLAX1zg, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXuWkUpQwJ4

Analysis: I put two different videos since there is actually a lot of good film to study. Burzan has really strong hockey sense and seems to really put himself in the right position often. His shot has a fast release and he really knows how to use it. He is adept at shooting from all angles which is really important in the NHL. His offensive sense is off the charts, it's almost seems like he has eyes in the back of his head with some of the passes he makes. Outside of Byram and Helleson I am most excited to see Burzan in an Avs uniform, i think they got an absolute steal with this pick.









#202 Trent Miner G- A 6’1 goaltender who played for the Vancouver Giants of the WHL this season. He put up a solid 1.98 GAA and .924 save percentage in the regular season. His work in the playoffs left a little bit to be desired but I expect Miner to be in the AHL getting development time with the Eagles within the next 3 years. Taking a goalie in every draft is a smart, looking at this years champion the St. Louis blues who had a 3rd round goaltender (Jordan Binnington) is a good example of why. He will be at camp this weekend.





Trent Miner Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flqL00be6wk

Analysis: This is another guy I'm really high on. He displays excellent technique and confidence facing down shooters. His stance is very sound and he has very good rebound control. He moves quickly and soundly and has a lot of room to develop into something special in the future.