Colorado Avalanche: 2 Breakout Candidates For Next Season

With each season that passes, it seems as though every team has players who improve significantly. They often turn out to be prospects naturally, but players who have some experience in the league also can. In this segment, we will be looking at two potential breakout candidates from each team. We will also be setting a max age limit of 26 years old, so older players are not eligible for discussion.

In this piece, we will be looking at the Colorado Avalanche. They are an exciting team to pay attention to this season, as they are once again viewed by many as the Stanley Cup favorites. They have a deep roster, but one has to wonder if these two breakout candidates will be even better for them next season.

Alex Newhook C: Alex Newhook impressed in his small sample size with the Colorado Avalanche this past season. In six regular season games, he had three assists and looked like a true NHLer. He also had a goal and an assist in eight playoff games. The 16th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft is seen as having a plethora of overall potential. When seeing as how the Avalanche have a strong forward group, he will have a lot of people around him who will help him succeed offensively.

Bowen Byram D: Bowen Byram should be able to take that next step this upcoming season. In 19 games this past season with the Avalanche, he had just two assists, but looked quite confident on the backend. He was an excellent player in juniors, which is why he was drafted fourth overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. With the Avalanche trading Ryan Graves, Byram should have more opportunities this upcoming season as well. Colorado fans should be excited to see what he will bring this go-around.

Honorable Mention: One other player to keep an eye on is forward Tyson Jost. One has to wonder if he will produce more offensively, as it seems he has the potential to. Perhaps this will be the season the 23-year-old has a big one.

Check out our last breakout candidates piece on the Chicago Blackhawks here. In our next installment, we will be discussing the Dallas Stars.