Eurolanche

Kaut headlines Avs prospects list at WJC

Czech forward Martin Kaut and his countrymen will face Switzerland in the opening game of the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, with the tournament making its return to Canada for the thirteenth time in history. The hosts, featuring forward Shane Bowers, will kick off their journey to defend gold against Denmark in the third game scheduled for today. Russian defenseman Danila Zhuravlyov and his teammates will have the opening day off.

Kaut, this year’s 16^th overall pick, will play at his second World Juniors. Despite failing to make the Avs out of training camp, Kaut has been solid so far for the Colorado Eagles, the Avs’ AHL affiliate, racking up 5 goals and 12 points in his first 26 games in North America. The 19-year-old Brno native will look to build on his outing at last year’s tournament, as he recorded 2 goals in 7 points in as many games, helping the Czechs make a surprising appearance in the semifinals, only to lose 7-2 to Canada and 9-3 to the US in the bronze medal game.

 Kaut will look to build on last year's solid World Juniors debut (Source: Zimbio)

The Czech youngster will play against both of his fellow Avalanche prospects in the group stage. Bowers, acquired from Ottawa in the Matt Duchene deal, will make his World Juniors debut against the Danes. Drafted 28^th overall by the Senators in 2017, the 19-year-old center is in his sophomore season at Boston University after making the transition from the USHL to the NCAA last year. The Halifax native has appeared in 15 games for the Terriers this season, scoring 5 goals and adding 3 helpers.

Completing the Avs trifecta is this year’s fifth-round pick (146^th overall) Danila Zhuravlyov. Like Bowers, the 18-year-old defenseman will look to make his World Juniors debut, after serving as Russia’s alternate captain at last year’s U-18 World Championship. Zhuravlyov is currently playing for Bars Kazan of the VHL, the second-highest pro league in his native Russia, appearing in 24 games while being held of the scoresheet thus far. The Russians will look to rebound from a disappointing tournament in Buffalo, where they finished third in Group B and lost in the quarterfinals to the US.

 After serving as alternate captain at last year's U-18 World Championship, 18-year-old Zhuravlyov will make his World Juniors debut (Source: Mile High Hockey)

It's worth noting that two more Avalanche prospects could join the aforementioned trio at the World Juniors – forwards Sampo Ranta (Finland) and Nikolai Kovalenko (Russia) – could still be added to their respective team’s 23-player roster despite not making the cut after attending their team’s training camp.

Schedule of the first game day:

Czech Republic – Switzerland

USA – Slovakia

Canada – Denmark

Finland – Sweden