2019 Midseason Prospect Review

The holidays are always a good time to pause, reflect on and give context to the numbers each Colorado Avalanche prospect has produced thus far into the 2019-20 season. This round-up focuses on those prospects outside the professional system as the pros will have a feature of their own at a later pause.

NCAA

Notre Dame is still Avalanche prospect headquarters with currently three on the roster. As a program which has enjoyed a lot of success recently they are failing to meet expectations with a 9-7-2 record with only a 15th national ranking by USCHO.com as they dropped six straight recently. Offense has been tough to generate for the Fighting Irish but Cam Morrison is second in team scoring with 14 points and four goals. He generally plays in the top six at left wing and is a strong net front presence as always, which is what will get him a contract should the Avalanche have interest.

On to the sophomore defensemen, Nicky Leivermann is having a breakout season with 10 points which leads the defense. This season he has consistently been able to play his style to move the puck and is chipping in on the power play with four points on the man advantage. Nate Clurman is a steady presence in the top four and has chipped in five points, though has not found one since November. Each of the three has been afforded good health and appeared in all 18 of Notre Dame’s games thus far.

It took a little while for Boston College to get momentum but they currently hold a 11-4-0 record and are ranked fifth in the country. It was a similar story for Alex Newhook who took a couple weeks to find the scoresheet but has since produced 12 points in those 15 games including six goals. Initially he was playing second line left wing but once Newhook was moved back to center the third line he really blossomed and found chemistry with his line mates. Newhook also had a strong showing at Canada’s World Junior selection camp scoring a pair of goals in as many exhibition games but was still a surprising cut even with one more year of eligibility remaining. His consistent production and improving defensive game are good signs for his continued progress.

Drew Helleson of course also plays for Boston College and has been a solid and steady presence on the blueline typically in a top four role with regular penalty killing duties. He has scored five points and a goal in the same 15 games on a defensive core that does not chip in a ton from the backend. Like Newhook there was a possibility for Helleson to make USA’s World Junior squad but he was not invited to selection camp, he will also have a much stronger chance next year.

For more on Newhook and Helleson go HERE

Sampo Ranta is the best kept secret among Avalanche prospects with his breakout season falling largely under the radar. Perhaps the World Junior Championship with team Finland will help spotlight Ranta’s game. Minnesota hasn’t experienced the greatest start to their season with a 5-9-4 record and just two Big 10 conference wins but Ranta leads the team in goals with 7 and is tied for tops on the team in scoring with 11 points in 18 games. Ranta also regularly puts the puck on net with just over three shots on goal per game as he plays in the top six on the left wing. His athletic gifts are already impactful as a 19-year old sophomore and the rest of his game is continuing to come together.

For more on Ranta’s season go HERE

Cornell is on a championship track as they are the third ranked team in the nation with a 10-1-0 record. Matt Stienburg plays his signature hard nosed game on the right wing and has chipped in an assist in nine contests. Unfortunately Stienburg injured his thumb and had surgery in early December which is expected to put him out for up to two months including over Cornell’s month long holiday break.

All throughout Denis Smirnov‘s NCAA career Penn State has been an offensive power house and this season is no different as they are the eighth ranked team with a 13-6 record and again the highest scoring team in the nation with 77 goals scored thus far. Smirnov is having a decent senior season of production with 16 points in 18 games but that is only good for sixth on his team. He will need to approach or surpass his freshman totals of 47 points to show that he’s progressed enough for the pro game.

The University of Nebraska-Omaha is another team who hasn’t enjoyed a great deal of success with a 8-8-2 record but conversely Tyler Weiss has in his sophomore campaign. In 17 games Weiss has already bested his his freshman production and is third on the team with 14 points including three goals. Weiss plays primarily second or third line left wing with power play time and is much more involved in the play and facilitating offense this season which is showing off his talent.

CHL

Last season the Vancouver Giants were an overtime goal away from a WHL championship and therefore had high expectations entering this season in which could be Bowen Byram’s last in junior hockey. Things have not gone to plan as the Giants have a record of 15-15-2 and are clinging on to a playoff spot. Their undoing has been a group of inexperienced forwards and a terrible power play. This as a result has taken a toll on some of the numbers Byram has put up but he still has produced 19 points in 27 games before departing for team Canada at the World Junior Championship. Byram is concentrating on his defensive game while still doing much of the heavy lifting on offense and in moving the puck. He’s brought a much heavier physical element to his game as well as he works to become NHL ready.

For more on Byram’s early season go HERE

The rare North American Avalanche prospect goaltender Trent Miner also plays for the inconsistent Vancouver Giants and has experienced ups and downs himself with time as the starter but also giving up the net to Arizona Coyotes prospect David Tendeck. Miner had a slow start and then put together a run which saw him grab goaltender of the week honors but then saw a few struggles after that. Miner currently holds a 6-7-2 record with a 2.97 and .899 save percentage.

Luka Burzan has been a top player for the Brandon Wheat Kings all season despite the team holding an unremarkable 15-15-3 record. Burzan’s hat trick and six point game was the highlight of his early season earning the CHL player of the night title. Overall his 36 points in 33 games lead the team and his 15 goals are second as Burzan regularly moves around the lineup playing center or left wing. Burzan is a prime candidate to get moved at the early January trade deadline as he is in his 19th year old season and Brandon looks to be a quick exit playoff team. He could provide a spark of skill and energy to any team.

For more on Burzan’s season go HERE

Sasha Mutala is the engine which makes the Tri-City Americans run but they are yet another below average WHL team with a 12-15-4 record. Mutala by far leads the team in scoring with 34 points in 30 games, which is nearly double his next closest teammate. Mutala also leads the team with 10 goals and is close to passing his career high 41 points already. Mutala might be a trade chip for Tri-City but they need him if they want to reach the playoffs at all. It’s encouraging seeing Mutala break free from the disappointments of last season to become such an impactful player.

The quest for 50 goals is on as Alex Beaucage currently sits with 26 after 33 games, good for second in the league. He recently put up a hat trick in a five point effort en route to his own CHL player of the night honors and leads his team in scoring with 43 points. Beaucage does most of his damage with an absolutely lethal wrist shot in which goaltenders at the QMJHL level cannot stop and only five of his goals have been produced on the power play. The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies are a respectable post-championship team despite losing several key players and are holding on to the top of the West division with a 18-12-3 record. Beaucage will likely stay put through the deadline and the Huskies might even be modest buyers.

For more on Beaucage’s goals go HERE

USHL

The curious case of Shamil Shmakov continues as he surprisingly made his way to North America to play in the USHL. A preseason trade saw him move from Lincoln to Cedar Rapids (10-13-1) where he now shares the net. Shmakov got off to a great start where he only gave up one goal in each of his first three starts but since then has battled injury and some uneven performances for a record of 4-3 with a .901 save percentage and 3.03 goals against average. Unfortunately Shmakov has not played since November 28th and is expected to take a while to recover from a back injury.

Europe

It has been a tremendous year thus far for Justus Annunen who backstops Kärpät, the best team in Finland’s Liiga which currently holds an incredible 25-4-2 record. Therefore Annunen’s eye-popping stats of a 11-0-2 record, 1.26 GAA and .940 save percentage are more in line with the team around him and Patrick Rybar with whom Annunen shares the net with. However Annunen has earned his own accolades this season setting a Liiga record for consecutive shutout minutes at 302 and five seconds. Annunen has also recorded five total shutouts to his name. Now he will hope to lead Finland to a World Junior Championship gold medal.

Petr Kvaca started the season promoted to full time with Ocelari Trinec (17-11-3) as one of the better teams in the the top Czech league and now has taken over the net as the original starter is away from the team. His statistics are a respectable 2.36 GAA and .918 save percentage with a 11-9 record. Kvaca and Trinec will next play in the Spengler Cup over the holidays.

For more on all the goaltenders go HERE

Nikolai Kovalenko keeps playing his tenacious game and has earned a bigger role and time on ice now, up to over 14 minutes per game, in his second year in the KHL with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (23-16-2). Production has followed as Kovalenko has almost tripled his point totals from last year and currently has 16 points with seven goals in 36 games. While that still seems modest he is the 5th highest scorer on the team and tops for all 20-year old and under players. Kovalenko has regularly been playing on a top line as of late as well as he strengthens his professional resume.

For more on Kovalenko’s season go HERE

Last but certainly not least, Danila Zhuravlyov has more than held his own as one of two teenage regular players on the absolutely dominant Ak Bars Kazan who leads the KHL with a 28-8-4 record. Though he has settled in more a third pairing role Zhuravylov still sees nearly 14 minutes per game. He has also found a way to chip in some points with eight in 30 contests including his first career KHL goal a couple weeks before departing for team Russia at the World Junior Championship. There he’s expected to hold top pairing duties with Montreal Canadiens top prospect Alexander Romanov as they have a good chance to win the gold medal.