Olausson’s game lacks energy and pace even if he’s a good skater, and he sticks to the perimeter too much. It’s the stuff he does without the puck that is the main concern. He has great individual skills, can make plays, and can shoot the puck like a pro. I still saw good games from him and times he looked like a first-round pick. I think he’s going to make it and play solidly in a top nine with a chance at more.ġ9 years old | 6-foot-1 | 180 pounds | Shoots leftĪnalysis: Olausson had a rough first season in North America scoring under a point per game in the OHL. He’s not an offensive dynamo but Kaut can create chances, and in ways that will translate. He’s a good-sized winger who can skate and has good puck skills. He hasn’t broken through in the NHL, though, but Colorado has had a very stacked group of forwards. As he matures physically I expect him to become a quality top-six forward and could see him play the middle potentially too.Ģ2 years old | 6-foot-1 | 174 pounds | Shoots rightĪnalysis: Kaut was a productive AHL player this season. Newhook lacks size, but he plays hard and doesn’t shy from contact. He combined that with strong offensive creativity with the puck. He’s got a quick twitch skating stride that allows him to explode up the ice. Newhook brings a ton of speed and energy.
#STRONG TOGETHER BYRAM PRO#
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup playerĪnalysis: Newhook had a strong first pro season, playing up most of the year on the Avs and being a part of their Stanley Cup run. and take a video deep dive into how Colorado's youngest player has groomed himself into a solid defender ⤵️ Ģ1 years old | 5-foot-10 | 192 pounds | Shoots left Stepping up in Samuel Girard's absence, Bowen Byram has emerged as a difference maker for the Avalanche in the playoffs. If he does, he’s a top-pair defenseman all day with a chance to become a true NHL Star. The big thing with Byram is staying healthy. He doesn’t shy from physical play defensively and with his skating, once he matures, he projects to become a shutdown defender. Byram has good offensive touch and sense with the puck, but it’s his feet that drive his offense. He can evade pressure so well at both ends and dances on the offensive blue line. He has high-end edgework to go with good speed. Tier: Bubble NHL All-Star and top of the lineup playerĪnalysis: Byram missed a large chunk of the season due to concussion symptoms, but when healthy he was extremely impressive and played big minutes in the playoffs during Colorado’s run. Key Subtractions: Justin Barron, Drew Hellesonįull 2022-23 NHL Pipeline Rankings Player RankingĢ1 years old | 6 feet | 195 pounds | Shoots left While the system isn’t very deep there’s some other pieces remaining I think will help the team in time.
This ranking is primarily bolstered by how good Bowen Byram is. That you see the subtractions and graduations mentioned above and the fact Colorado didn’t pick until the sixth round in the 2022 draft, and they are still the 23rd-ranked pipeline shows how well things are going for the reigning champions.