FIVE AVALANCHE PROSPECTS/Big numbers
F Conner Bleackley, Reed Deer (WHL) 71-29-39-68
First-round pick (23rd in 2014) will undoubtedly be returned to Red Deer.
F Troy Bourke, Prince George (WHL) 69-29-56-85
Avs’ third-round pick (72nd overall) in 2012 will begin his first pro season at Lake Erie.
F Samuel Henley, Val-d’Or (QMJHL) 51-30-39-69
At 21, he goes 6-4 and 210 pounds and was signed as an undrafted free agent.
F Marcus Power, Rouyn (QMJHL) 67-31-78-109
At 21, signed to AHL tryout contract as undrafted free agent; played for Avs assistant Andre Tourigny at Rouyn in 2012-13.
D Cody Corbett, Edmonton (WHL) 65-17-44-61
Huge numbers for Memorial Cup champion Oil Kings to cap a sensational major-junior career.
I have a story about Avalanche prospect Cody Corbett , and a condensed version will run in Thursday’s paper. As you can see from the above, the Minnesota-born Corbett (6-foot-1, 204 pounds) is among a handful of undrafted free agents the Avs recently signed. He and Samuel Henley and Marcus Power put up big numbers as 20-year-olds, and each are expected to immediately contribute to the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League.
Corbett said the Avs were the first to offer him a contract. “Couple (other) teams were kind of iffy, saying ‘We’ll talk to you towards the end of the season and see how you do in the playoffs and stuff.’ I didn’t have any offers until just after Christmas time (and that came) from Colorado.”
Corbett signed with the Avs on March 3, and his three-year, $1.85 million deal currently ties him with draft picks Chris Bigras and Troy Bourke for the longest among Avs prospects in the minors or junior.
“I’m excited to take advantage of that opportunity (at Lake Erie),” Corbett said. “We’re going to have a good squad and itap going to be fun to compete for a lineup spot every night.”
Power, who signed an AHL-specific contract and is not recognized on the Avs’ payroll at , is well known to Patrick Roy and assistant coach Andre Tourigny. Power played for Rouyn of the Quebec league in 2012-13 under Tourigny, and against Roy’s Quebec Remparts. Rouyn lost to the Halifax Mooseheads and Nathan MacKinnon in the QMJHL playoffs that year, before Roy, Tourigny and MacKinnon came to Colorado.
Meanwhile, reigning Calder Trophy winner MacKinnon is a bigger man at age 19, or he’s just going with bigger breezers. I’m guessing he has indeed bulked up. Here’s No. 29 skating with Ryan O’Reilly and Tyson Barrie on Wednesday morning.
Avalanche , compliment of assistant coach Tim Army, as Gabe Landeskog leads the veterans to a 35-some-player practice/scrimmage at the other sheet at Family Sports Center. Landeskog, who is beginning a seven-year, $39 million contract, is in charge of renting the ice, paying the trainers and equipment guys, and whatever else needs to be done to get his teammates sweating together before Thursday’s physicals at the Pepsi Center. Thursday is the first day the NHL team can have any contact/control over its players.
