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Colorado Avalanche: Analysis of the 3 Picks in Rounds 5 to 7

ByNadia Archuleta|
VANCOUVER, BC - JUNE 21: A general view of the draft floor prior to the Colorado Avalanche pick during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC - JUNE 21: A general view of the draft floor prior to the Colorado Avalanche pick during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
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VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – JUNE 22: Alex Beaucage, 78th overall pick of the Colorado Avalanche, is greeted at the draft table by Brad Smith during Rounds 2-7 of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 22, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)

Seven-Round Draft Analysis

So, the Colorado Avalanche got a haul this year. They drafted five forwards two defensemen, and a goalie.

Here’s what they got:

#4: Bowen Byram, D
#16: Alex Newhook, C
#47: Drew Helleson, D
#63: Matthew Stienburg, C/RW
#78: Alex Beaucage, RW/LW
#140: Sasha Mutala, RW
#171: Luka Burzan, C
#202: Trent Miner, G

As we know, Bowen Byram is almost certain to make the team and make a big impact on the team. There’s talk of his coming into training camp looking to make the team next season.

I’m not a fan of that — Colorado has rushed players before (Tyson Jost), and we see how that’s going. There’s no reason to rush Byram, especially since he’s a defensemen. They notoriously take longer to develop, and Colorado is stacked in that position.

I don’t love picking players who played in a league below major juniors, which brings us to Alex Newhook. They pretty much drafted him right where he was scouted to go, though. What’s more, he’s slated to attend Boston College next season. Hopefully he’ll get a couple years of good development there.

As noted, the next couple selections were a little off-board and then way off-board. I think their second-rounder, Drew Helleson, could be an eventual bottom-pairing, seventh defenseman for Colorado. I don’t see Matthew Stienburg ever even getting an entry-level contract.

I’m pretty excited about the next three selections. All three forwards have decent size and did a lot of scoring last year in their major juniors teams. These are players Colorado loves to sign to entry-level contracts, say, a year after drafting them. They then get to fight for roster spots between the ECHL, AHL, and NHL teams — hey, that’s how it goes in pro sports.

Finally, we have our goalie. Trent Miner has a fair amount of competition to even get into the system. However, he does have the chops. I like that Colorado has gotten stacked again in goalie prospects.

Overall, I like this draft year. There weren’t any picks I absolutely hated — even Stienburg. Hey, the kid could surprise us all. I think Colorado continues to fill the coffers. Realistically, I see the two first-rounders getting contracts and making the NHL. Of the others… it just all depends on how their development progresses. A few of the players (Newhook, Helleson, Stienburg) are already promised to play in college, so that’s promising for their development.

Now we have the Prospect Development Camp to look forward to. Here’s the full on-ice schedule:

  • Wednesday, June 26: 8:15 to 12:30 (four groups)
  • Wednesday, June 26: 3:00 to 4:30 (all)
  • Thursday, June 27: 1:00 to 5:15 (four groups)
  • Friday, June 28: 8:15 to 12:30 (four groups)

The Colorado Avalanche will also conduct a 3-on-3 tournament at EPIC in Fort Collins.

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