Team: Chris Bigras
Isaiah J. Downing

Fantasy Summary

Bigras has the composure, hockey IQ, to become a 4th or 5th NHL defenseman with some offensive capabilities.


Observations

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July 2019 – Bigras has signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Flyers.  Jokke Nevalainen

June 2019 – Bigras did not get a qualifying offer from the Rangers which means he becomes an unrestricted free agent.  Jokke Nevalainen

March 2019 – The former Ave prospect continues to have moderate offensive success at the AHL level, however, The Rangers appear just as reluctant to elevate his opportunity to the NHL as the Avalanche did. At 24-years-old, there’s likely little in the way of fundemental development for Bigras to undergo, leaving most to assume he’s on the path to being a career AHL player. Brayden Olafson

February 2018 – Bigras has been traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Ryan Graves. After battling multiple injuries for a good part of the last 3 seasons, Bigras has had a streaky AHL season. His offensive upside is still there and he is mobile enough for today’s game, but he lacked the consistency to move him ahead of others in the Colorado pipeline. Hayden Soboleski

 

October 2017 – Bigras has made the Avs’ opening-night roster and given the lack of depth in the position, he has a good chance to remain with the team for the foreseeable future. He has outperformed Mironov and Lindholm (also fighting for spots) so far. Hayden Soboleski

 

September 2017 – Bigras seems to back in form since last season’s concussion. He appeared to be getting far-and-away the most minutes of anyone at the regional Rookie Tournament, and has not been shy to lead the play, make deep pinches, or commit fully offensively. His decision-making on when to be agressive still isn’t 100%, but its still early in training camp so there’s time to figure things out before the season begins. He is going to be battling for a third-pairing spot with the Avs for the next few weeks. Hayden Soboleski

 

January 2017 – Through avenues other than the Avalanche organization, it has come out that the undisclosed injury that kept Bigras out of the lineup for two months was indeed a concussion as rumours suggested. He is back in the AHL lineup with four points in three games so far. After such a promising pro debut last season, let’s hope that he has made a full recovery. Hayden Soboleski

 

November 2016 – Bigras is out of the AHL lineup indefinitely with an undisclosed injury. Hayden Soboleski

 

October 2016 – Bigras has been assigned to the AHL to start the 2016-17 season. He looked good in training camp, showing off his intelligence beyond his years, but did show his youth at times, and sometimes allowed opponents to play their game a little too easily. He is capable of NHL duties should an injury arise, and will be fantasy relevant if its a long-term call-up, but a year of AHL development will make him an even bigger threat to become a top defenceman in the future. Hayden Soboleski

 

September 2016 – Bigras has come into the Avs Training camp and Rookie Showcase and done nothing but impress. He reads the play at an exceptional level, and combined with his smooth skating this allows for him to be a constant threat with the puck. He has clearly been working on his shot – which is improved from last season and may lead to his stats being less assist-based. The 21-year-old has done everything right and probably deserves an NHL spot, but the amount of bodies brought in by Colorado makes this unlikely right now. Hayden Soboleski

 

January 2015 – In an effort to promote better play through competition, the Avalanche have recalled promising prospects Bigras and Zadorov from the AHL. The team now carries eight defencemen so ice-tie will have to be earned, but its nice to see those with upside being given a chance over other bottom-pairing options. Bigras is having a strong rookie season with the Rampage and will be a contender for an NHL job in the near future. Hayden Soboleski

 

November 2015 – Bigras has started his first AHL season with four points in six games and a plus-two rating, all whie receiving ample ice time and often facing his opponents’ top lines. This is exactly the start the organization hoped to see from the talented 20 year old who hasn’t been stalled so far on his way to becoming a top defender. Hayden Soboleski

 

May 2015 – Bigras had a breakout offensive year with Owen Sound in the OHL, scoring 71 points in 62 games (20 goals, 51 assists). Twelve of his goals came on the powerplay which he quarterbacked, while he also racked up some penalties of his own (52 PIM). Not making the cut for the Team Canada World Junior roster was discouraging, but given the stacked roster and his very strong play before and after the event his progression towards being an elite fantasy own should not be in question. Hayden Soboleski

 

October 2014 – Owen Sound defenceman Chris Bigras has been named to the OHL’s roster for the upcoming Subway® Super Series and will compete in both games on November 13th and 17th in Peterborough and Kingston, respectively. Brendan Ross

 

January 2014- Bigras had a rather dissapointing World Junior showing, accounting for no points and not much ice time to go along with it. Nerves could have played a large role but he was fairly invisible and only managed a measly plus- 1 in seven games. The potential is still there and he is still a big time prospect for the Colorado Avalanche, but this wasn’t his best showing all around. Andrew Ward

 

December 2013 – Chris Bigras was one of seven defensemen named to Team Canada’s final roster for the 2014 World Junior Championships in Malmo, Sweden. Canada will look to Bigras to play a smart two-way game and the young Avalanche prospect could find himself on the secondary powerplay if things go well. Brendan Ross

 

September 2013 – Chris Bigras has inked an entry level deal with the Colorado Avalanche on September 18th. This isn’t surprising being that Bigras has had a fantastic camp so far and has been a standout in scrimmages. Andrew Ward

 

September 2013- Chris Bigras has impressed everyone at camp. A smooth skater with strong defensive ability, whispers out of camp have him making The Avalanche roster on opening night. Bigras was a solid pick for the Avs in the second round and has not disapointed so far. With the Avs defense not being their strongest position, we may see more of Bigras over the course of the year. Andrew Ward

 

June 2013 – Tremendous hockey sense, strong skating ability and smart decision making are the standout qualities you will find in Owen Sound Attack defenseman Chris Bigras. Playing in the shadow of Senators’ 2012 1st round pick, Cody Ceci, Bigras is an under-the-radar defensive prospect for the upcoming 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Bigras doesn’t possess a flashy offensive game but he does have some underlying potential to put up points. He is excellent in the defensive zone, showing great positioning and an ability to read the opposition’s attack. Bigras’ strong skating stride allows him to jump into the rush and lead the attack but he is also very efficient at making the first pass to kick start the transition game. In 68 games with Owen Sound, Bigras contributed eight goals and 38 points, finishing second in defensive scoring. Bigras was also a key member of Canada’s U18 WHC defense core adding a trio of assists en route to a gold medal. Brendan Ross

Attributes
Fantasy Upside 3.0
NHL Certainty 4.5
Country CAN
Position D
Roster Type Minors
Shoot/Glove Left
Date of Birth February 22, 1995
Height 6‘1”
Weight 190 lbs
Drafted 2013 Round 2; Overall: 32

Stats

 Season Team League GP G A TP PIM      Playoffs GP G A TP PIM 
 2007-2008 Barrie Colts PeeweeQC Int PW- - -- -|        
 2009-2010 Barrie Colts U15 AAAETAHL U15- - -- -|        
 2010-2011 Barrie Colts U16 AAAETAHL U1643 7 2532 20|        
  Barrie Colts U16 AAAOHL Cup3 0 22 2|        
 2011-2012 Owen Sound AttackOHL49 3 1619 33|Playoffs5 2 35
  Canada Ontario U17WHC-176 1 12 2|        
 2012-2013 Owen Sound AttackOHL68 8 3038 34|Playoffs12 0 22
  Canada U18Hlinka Gretzky Cup5 0 00 2|        
  Canada U18WJC-187 0 33 0|        
 2013-2014 Owen Sound AttackOHL55 4 2327 46|Playoffs5 1 23
  OHL All-StarsJr Super Series2 0 22 2|        
  Canada U20WJC-207 0 00 0|        
 2014-2015 Owen Sound AttackOHL62 20 5171 52|Playoffs5 1 23
  OHL All-StarsJr Super Series2 0 11 0|        
  Cleveland MonstersAHL7 0 44 2|        
 2015-2016 Colorado AvalancheNHL31 1 23 16|        
  San Antonio RampageAHL37 6 1319 6|        
 2016-2017 San Antonio RampageAHL45 5 1419 37|        
 2017-2018 Colorado AvalancheNHL15 0 11 2|        
  San Antonio RampageAHL20 1 56 14|        
  Hartford Wolf PackAHL18 2 1113 8|        
 2018-2019 Hartford Wolf PackAHL52 3 1922 36|        
 2019-2020 Lehigh Valley PhantomsAHL39 2 1416 22|        
 2020-2021 Lehigh Valley PhantomsAHL21 2 68 8|        
 2021-2022 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PenguinsAHL28 3 710 12|        
  Chicago WolvesAHL12 2 13 6|        
 2022-2023 Barys AstanaKHL23 0 11 8|        
  Iserlohn RoostersDEL28 1 67 14|        

Highlights