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Full list of NHL Organizational Rankings
Colorado Avalanche Top 10 Prospects
1. Tyson Barrie, Defense
2. Michael Sgarbossa, Center
3. Duncan Siemens, Defense
4. Joey Hishon, Center
5. Troy Bourke, Left Wing
6. Brad Malone, Center
7. Cameron Gaunce, Defense
8.Calvin Pickard, Goaltender
9.Sami Aittokallio, Goaltender
10.Garret Meurs, Center
I've heard good things about Mike Connnolly, but lacked the notes to feel comfortable ranking him.
Organizational Ranking: 26th
System Overview: Colorado's system is somewhat depleted due to the fact most of their best young players such as Gabriel Landeskog and Stefan Elliot are considered graduated. Tyson Barrie is top flight defense prospect, though, and Colorado has a couple of decent pieces after him. Overall, in terms of above-average talent, the pickings are slim although the Avalanche have a fair amount of average prospects.
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1. Tyson Barrie, Defense
2010-11 Ranking: 2nd
Date of birth: 07/26/1991
Age: 20
Height: 5'10''
Weight: 191
Shoots: Right
Statistics: 49 GP, 5 G, 32 P (Kelowna-WHL)
Acquired: Third round, 64th overall in 2009 by Colorado
The Good: In his first pro season, Barrie scored 32 points in 49 games. His AHL team's leading scorer had 39 points in 72 games. Barrie is a very talented defenseman who is a high-end puck possessor. He's good with the puck, with quick hands, and has the creativity to do a lot in open ice. He's a high-end puck handler and thinker who can control a game when he has the puck in transition and on the power play. He has all the offensive talents to put up big points, but he's also smart in his own end and looks to have the defensive abilities and willingness to battle to project as a solid player on defense. Barrie has fantastic intangibles and gets regular praise for his on- and off-ice work habits. He's a fine skater, maybe not as dynamic as you would want for his size, but has solid speed and good agility.
The Bad: Barrie's physical game and strength are his major hurdles to overcome and he may need to be somewhat sheltered in terms of offensive zone starts because of that.
Projection: He could be a very good #3 defenseman, maybe even a #2.
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2. Michael Sgarbossa, Center
2010-11 Ranking: 5th (San Jose)
Date of birth: 07/25/1992
Age: 20
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 175
Shoots: Left
Statistics: 66 GP, 47 G, 102 P (Sudbury-OHL)
Acquired: Trade from San Jose, undrafted
The Good: Sgarbossa has high-end hockey sense and good puck skills which led to praise from scouts this year such as "the ability to take over games" and "the kind of player who makes everyone around him better." The OHL scoring leader this season also has a feisty side to him, as he plays with a great on-ice drive, and shows a lot of competiveness on the forecheck and in battles. He's a solid skater who isn't an explosive player but has a fine top gear and a good first step. Sgarbossa is a solid finisher as well. He has a great off-ice regimen, and is physically ready to make the next step.
The Bad: His size may impede him from playing the same aggressive style in the NHL he did in the OHL with the same level of effectiveness. He probably tops out as a replacement-level physical player, or maybe a below-average one if he transitions to the pro game well. Sgarbossa's splits the last two seasons showed he scored a lot on the power play, and how he drives possession at even strength in the pro game will be a thing to watch.
Projection: He has top six potential, and could maybe even be a good second line forward.
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3. Duncan Siemens, Defense
2010-11 Ranking: 7th
Date of birth: 09/11/1993
Age: 18
Height: 6'3''
Weight: 205
Shoots: Left
Statistics: 57 GP, 6 G, 28 P (Saskatoon-WHL)
Acquired: First round, 11th overall in 2011 by Colorado
The Good: Siemens is a pretty mobile defender who moves at an above-average level and well above-average for a bigger player. He can join the transition on offense, activates well from the point, and his four-way skating helps him stay with his checks well. He's got a very good on-ice work ethic and is the kind of player to go 100% every shift, be it in loose puck battles, net front battles, or when travelling up and down the ice. Scouts say his passion and competitiveness showed on the ice, and can really threaten as a high-end physical game due to those elements on top of his size and strength level. He makes decent reads at both ends off the puck.
The Bad: Siemens simply is not an offensive guy, as he has below-average if not fringe puck skills and can look awkward handling the puck. He sometimes tries to go beyond his limits and can be a liability with the puck in terms of his decision-making. He can move the puck at an okay level, though, and could probably be a decent outlet guy at the top level. He had a bit of a rough season compounded by a concussion injury, but looked much better at the end of the season.
Projection: He could be a league-average defenseman.
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4. Joey Hishon, Center
2010-11 Ranking: 4th
Date of birth: 07/26/1991
Age: 20
Height: 5'10''
Weight: 175
Shoots: Left
Statistics: Did not play
Acquired: First round, 17th overall in 2010 by Colorado
The Good: Hishon has very desirable puck possession skills between his high-end puck skills and his great creativity with the puck to go with his above-average vision. He can make difficult plays with consistency and is able to be a primary starting point for offense. He's a shifty player who's pretty agile. Hishon also has a good work ethic and plays with energy at both ends.
The Bad: He's been out for over a year with a concussion. Hishon can sometimes force bad plays. His top gear could be better too for a 5'10" forward.
Projection: He could be an average second line forward.
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5. Troy Bourke, Left Wing
2010-11 Ranking: N/A
Date of birth: 03/30/1994
Age: 18
Height: 5'10''
Weight: 156
Shoots: Left
Statistics: 71 GP, 18 G, 56 P (Prince George-WHL)
Acquired: Third round, 72nd overall in 2012 by Colorado
The Good: While Bourke's numbers may not stand out at you, it's somewhat due to the fact that he played on the WHL's worst offense but he still led his team in scoring. Bourke is an intelligent, creative forward who knows how to set up his teammates. He's also a solid skater with a decent top gear and a nice combination of agility and edge work. He has a desirable on-ice work ethic as well.
The Bad: His size/strength combo is underwhelming as he can easily be pushed off pucks and boxed out of the high percentage areas. Bourke also lacks that top-end skill you would want in a smaller forward.
Projection: He could be a below-average second line winger.
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6. Brad Malone, Center
2010-11 Ranking: 6th
Date of birth: 05/20/1989
Age: 23
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 207
Shoots: Left
Statistics: 67 GP, 11 G, 36 P (Lake Erie-AHL)
Acquired: Fourth round, 105th overall in 2007 by Colorado
The Good: Malone is a physically developed player who can play a pro power game and muscle his checks off the puck. He plays with energy and is a pretty physical player. Malone also has above-average hockey sense which when combined with his aforementioned traits translates into desirable defensive value. He also has some offensive sense and could be an average passer.
The Bad: While Malone is not a null offensive player, that isn't his game and he does not project as an NHL-level offensive creator. His skating has improved since last season as well although his mechanics aren't all that pretty and I would say he's still slightly below-average.
Projection: He could be a bottom-six center.
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7. Cameron Gaunce, Defense
2010-11 Ranking: 5th
Date of birth: 03/19/1990
Age: 22
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 203
Shoots: Left
Statistics: 75 GP, 6 G, 27 P (Lake Erie-AHL)
Acquired: Second round, 50th overall in 2008 by Colorado
The Good: Gaunce is a highly projectable defensive defender who plays a smart, simple game in his own end. He has an above-average physical game as he has pro-level strength and tends to use his body well. He also makes a good outlet pass.
The Bad: Gaunce's skating could still use some work as his mechanics aren't all that refined. He's also not an offensive defender and is limited with what he can do with the puck although sometimes he tries to go beyond his means.
Projection: He could be a third pairing defender.
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8. Calvin Pickard, Goaltender
2010-11 Ranking: 8th
Date of birth: 04/15/1992
Age: 20
Height: 6'0''
Weight: 196
Catches: Left
Statistics: .64 GP .906 SV% (Seattle-WHL)
Acquired: Second round, 49th overall in 2010 by Colorado
The Good: Pickard has above-average hockey sense, as he's a goalie who reads the play very well and tends to consistently square up pucks. He gets regular praise from scouts for his instincts. Pickard is a pretty competitive goalie who battles for loose pucks and can effectively make the second save. Pickard's technique is very refined for his age.
The Bad: Pickard doesn't have all that impressive reflexes and won't wow you with high-end stops. His puck stopping rate in his last WHL season was also somewhat underwhelming after two pretty quality seasons beforehand.
Projection: He could be an average goalie.
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9. Sami Aittokallio, Goaltender
2010-11 Ranking: Unranked
Date of birth: 08/06/1992
Age: 20
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 181
Catches: Left
Statistics: .16 GP .909 SV% (Ilves-SM-Liiga)
Acquired: Fourth round, 107th overall in 2010 by Colorado
The Good: Aittokallio is a physically-gifted goaltender who has above-average lateral movements, nice quickness out of his butterfly, and impressive athleticism with his limbs. He has an efficient style with limited movements, but when he does move, he gets to his location or the puck quickly. His positioning is advanced for his age and he squares up pucks well.
The Bad: Aittokallio needs to work on his rebound control. He also needs attention on how he catches pucks with his glove.
Projection: He could be an average goalie.
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10. Garret Meurs, Center
2010-11 Ranking: Unranked
Date of birth: 01/12/1993
Age: 19
Height: 6'0''
Weight: 175
Shoots: Right
Statistics: 67 GP, 20 G, 53 P (Plymouth-OHL)
Acquired: Fifth round, 123rd overall in 2011 by Colorado
The Good: Meurs was pretty solid this season after a disappointing draft season. He's a gifted player with above-average puck skills and vision who knows how to create offense. However, this season what took him to that next level was an added physical element in terms of driving the net and competing for a lot of loose pucks.
The Bad: Meurs comes off as a player who is a bit of a tweener. While he's skilled, he hasn't shown the consistent ability to OHL to project as a pro scorer while it's somewhat questionable if he could be a good defensive player in the NHL. He needs to bulk up as well.
Projection: If he pans out, he could be a top-nine forward.
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The Next Five
11. Mark Olver, Center: Olver missed a chunk of the season due to a concussion, but he has enough skill to go with a great work ethic that he could be a bottom line forward, and he was that for Colorado this past season.
12. Joachim Nermark, Center: Nermark is a smart player who is very effective defensively, skates well, and has some offensive upside.
13. Paul Carey, Left Wing: He's got an intriguing package of size, speed, and skill, but the production hasn't really ever come.
14. Nathan Condon, Center: Condon is a good skater who plays with energy and has some skill, too.
15. Mitchell Heard, Left Wing: Heard is a smart two-way player who works hard on the ice and has good defensive value.
The Sleeper: Colin Smith, Center
Smith is a pretty hard-working forward with decent tools across the board. I was slightly surprised he wasn't drafted last season.
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Colorado Avalanche Organizational Top 10
Players 22 or under as of 09/15/2012 or still considered a prospect as defined here.
1. Gabriel Landeskog, Left Wing
2.Ryan O'Reilly, Center
3. Matt Duchene, Center
4. Tyson Barrie, Defense
5. Stefan Elliot, Defense
6.Michael Sgarbossa, Center
7. Duncan Siemens, Defense
8. Joey Hishon, Center
9. Troy Bourke, Left Wing
10. Brad Malone, Center
Well, I certainly ate some crow this season on Landeskog. While I thought he would be good right away, he was simply sensational this season and is tracking to be one of the league's better forwards, which could be a reality very soon. O'Reilly has come into his own, too, as the kind of tough defensive minutes he can log at his age while also showing the ability to push possession at a top line level is very impressive. I could see the argument to rank Duchene ahead of O'Reilly because of his tools and I have full confidence that he will bounce back after a disappointing season and be a quality player for a while. Tyson Barrie and Stefan Elliot was a coin flip for me, as I like how Elliot's all-around game has developed to combine with his great skating and shot, but Barrie's skill level and hockey brain make me lean in his direction.
Corey Pronman is an author of Hockey Prospectus.
You can contact Corey by clicking here or click here to see Corey's other articles.
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