31 Teams in 31 Days - Colorado Avalanche

Just one OHL prospect for the Avalanche this year.

1. Brandon Saigeon - Oshawa Generals
Kind of an up and down OA year for Saigeon after winning an OHL Championship the year prior with Hamilton. Saigeon saw himself moved to Oshawa mid way through this year and his production really dipped following the trade. I think that was due to a few different factors. First was the way Oshawa runs three lines pretty balanced and he wasn't seeing the same type of 5 on 5 ice time as with Hamilton. Second was a lack of chemistry with his linemmates in Oshawa. He just never seemed to look comfortable to me, at least not as comfortable as he looked in Hamilton. A third thing that I noticed was Saigeon's intensity level in the offensive zone just wasn't as high this year. He didn't seem quite as willing to battle below the hash marks and wasn't as physical as we saw him be the year prior. And his skating stride would still be classified as average, and likely below average for the pro level next year. But Saigeon can really shoot a puck and he's a smart player in all three zones. As he starts his journey at the pro level next year, without that elite skating ability, he really needs to re-establish himself as someone who can excel without the puck and engage physically. Hanging out around the dots or in the slot looking for passes just won't cut it. This is especially true considering he is still trying to earn an NHL contract from the Avalanche. Because he was drafted late, he will be playing this year on an AHL deal to start. In a perfect world, he can earn a regular spot in the AHL lineup and avoid the ECHL this year. If that's the case, hopefully he can get near the 15 goal plateau in his first pro year and earn that contract.