[b]1. Noel Gunler, RW - 32-6-5-11 (NHL), 50-29-25-54 (AHL)[/b]
The Swedish sniper stays on top after a solid first pro season. It took the teenager some time to adjust, but by mid-season he was tearing up the AHL and earned two months with the big club. He'll be a permanent NHLer next season.

2. Ryan O???Rourke, D - N/A (junior)
3. Calle Clang, G - N/A (junior)
4. Henry Thrun, D - N/A (junior)
5. Jaromir Pytlik, C - N/A (junior)

The top 5 remains the same from our last ranking. These four are building blocks for Colorado and most if not all will join the AHL Eagles next year.

6. Jack Perbix, C - 49-15-26-41 (AHL), 7-0-0-0 (NHL)
Acquired mid-season from the Rangers, Perbix had a strong first year in the AHL and earned a callup at the end of the season. He has a chance to make the Avs next year, but could spend another season on the Eagles' top line.

7. Xavier Bernard, D - 82-2-7-9 (AHL)
Bernard established himself as a physical stay-at-home presence in his rookie AHL season. If the Avs can clear their backlog of defencemen, he should anchor the Eagles' top pair next season.

8. Nikita Okhotyuk, D - N/A (junior)
Okhotyuk was acquired from Tampa and is part of an extremely strong collection of young defencemen that the Avs keep adding to. He'll man the Eagles' blueline in 2021-22.

9. Donovan Sebrango, D - 68-14-16-30 (AHL)
Acquired from Ottawa at the deadline, Sebrango was nearly picked by Colorado in last year's draft and had an excellent first year pro, becoming a goal and point-scoring threat from the back end. At 19 he's already on the verge of being NHL-ready.

10. Nolan Foote, LW - 43-14-15-29 (AHL), 26-2-3-5 (NHL)
Foote brings gritty qualities that the young Avs lack, with some offensive instincts as well. He was a staple in their bottom six after coming over from the Islanders in the Phaneuf trade, and should be a third liner on next year's team.

11. Daniil Misyul, D - N/A (junior)
Misyul was one of the pieces acquired from Dallas for Zack Kassian. He's likely to play for the Eagles next year and is yet another solid defensive rearguard.

12. Markus Niemelainen, D - 73-4-14-18 (AHL), 3-0-0-0 (NHL)
The Finnish D was picked up from Arizona for Aleksi Heponiemi and is ready for prime time. The only thing stopping him is the Avs' glut of defencemen. They plan to deal one or two vets this summer which may make room for him on the roster.

13. Brandon Coe, RW - N/A (junior)
Traded and then re-acquired by the Avs, Coe is a hard hitter taken in the third round of last year's draft. He's likely to spend another year in junior.

14. Jesse Ylonen, RW - 70-55-37-92 (AHL), 11-1-4-5 (NHL)
Ylonen led the Eagles in scoring with dazzling numbers, but his lack of defensive improvement drops him significantly in the ranking. He needs to get serious about his own end of the ice to gain the GM's favour.

15. Simon Stransky, LW - 40-27-18-45 (AHL), 30-2-4-6 (NHL)
Stransky has also dropped down the list. He had another strong year in the AHL but contributed almost nothing in 30 games with the big club, struggling to take his development to the next level. If he's to make next year's team, he'll have to earn it.

16. Simon Holmstrom, LW - N/A (junior)
Holmstrom will join the Eagles next season. The two-way offensive winger projects as a middle six type.

17. Dmitri Semykin, D - 70-2-10-12 (AHL)
Acquired for Steve Mason, the former third-round pick got acclimated to the pro game this season. He shows promise defensively but has some work to do yet.

18. Mystery defenceman - N/A (junior)
This d-man was acquired in a trade that can't be announced yet. A slightly above average defender with decent offensive ability.

19. Andrei Altybarmakyan, LW - 63-29-13-42 (AHL), 14-3-2-5 (NHL
The Russian gobbledegook man started the year barely getting into the Eagles' lineup, but worked his way up as a goal-scorer, to the point he got a significant look at the NHL level and is a candidate to make the team next season.

20. Mystery goalie - 5-4-2-1, 3.03, .860 (NHL), 6-10, 3.75, .868 (AHL)
A goalie who also cannot be named yet. Has all the talent to be a starter but one of the least consistent goalies currently walking the earth.

21. Antoine Morand, C - 82-22-65-87 (AHL)
The skilled playmaker took advantage of increased opportunities created by callups and trades, and became a key cog in the top six. He has the skill to be a top 9 guy but pays little attention to defence.

22. Tuukka Tieksola, LW - N/A (junior)
Tieksola is a smiilar player to Altybarmakyan and Morand. He's expected to crack the Eagles' lineup next year.

23. Yegor Sokolov, RW - 72-11-11-22 (AHL)
The defensive-minded winger started the year struggling to get into the lineup but soon grabbed a permanent spot on the third line. He needs another year in the AHL.

24. Nikita Alexandrov, C - N/A (junior)
The former fourth-round pick came over from Ottawa and should crack the AHL next year. His potential is limited but he has a chance to be an NHLer.

25. Jake Ratzlaff, D - N/A (junior)
A fifth-rounder, Ratzlaff was selected for his stay-at-home defence and doesn't pay much attention to the other two zones. He projects as a 6/7 depth D.

26. Cross Hanas, LW - N/A (junior)
Picked up from Detroit for Nathan Bastian, Hanas is a fringe prospect but might have a shot. He'll likely spend another year in junior.

27. Lucas Elvenes, RW - 54-5-11-16 (AHL)
The rookie pro was a constant healthy scratch in the early stages of the season, but trades and callups opened room and he made the most of it, even seeing some time on the second line. He's an average offensive player who isn't a liability on defence but probably doesn't make a good team's roster.

28. Dmitri Ovchinnikov, LW - N/A (junior)
A former auto-pick, Ovchinnikov does have some pro-level skills but is in a similar boat as Elvenes, though a little better defensively and with less pop up front.

29. Lenni Killinen, RW - 63-22-17-39 (AHL)
Killinen is a strong AHL-level player but he doesn't have much upside. After an early injury, he put up enough offence to become a fixture on the third line.

30. Jakub Galvas, D - 17-1-4-5 (AHL)
The former fourth-rounder was a throw-in to the Mattias Backman trade with the Rangers and didn't see any action until after the trade. He doesn't have NHL potential and likely tops out as a second pair in the AHL.