Shane Bowers

December 2024 – Bowers has been getting infrequent minutes at the NHL level this season in a fourth-line center capacity and has done almost all he can given his skillset. He’s not one to bring the offense — his toolset in that regard leaves quite a bit to be desired by proxy of his average speed and below-average shooting and passing ability. Still, his defensive awareness is more than adequate for a fringe NHLer. He can sometimes create chaos in the offensive zone because of his grittiness and willingness to play in the dirty areas. Still, he will not be more than an extra player or injury callup because of his other limitations. JP Gambatese

July 2023 – Bowers was acquired by the Devils in exchange for Reilly Walsh. The Devils have signed Bowers to a one-year-contract and he will report to their AHL affiliate in Utica. He is no longer waiver exempt and is unlikely to be recalled. Peter Harling

February 2023 – Bowers was acquired from the Avalanche for goalie Keith Kinkaid. The 23-year-old is in his third season as a pro player and has made his NHL debut this year, playing in one NHL game. His production at the AHL level has been declining and that is a significant concern, but the change to the Bruins organization, which has less depth and more opportunity could give Bowers a second chance to become a NHL player and a fantasy relevant prospect again. Peter Harling.

November 2022 – After starting his AHL campaign with six points in ten games while the Avalanche suffered continuous injuries up front, Bowers received a call-up to the big club to make his NHL debut. Unfortunately, he played just 1:46 before suffering an upper-body injury which ended his debut and will put him on the shelf for an unknown amount of time. The fact that Bowers got the call is a positive sign for fantasy owners that Colorado does intend to see what they have in the 23-year-old former 1st-round-pick, but this injury came at the exact time the stars aligned on a deep squad to get him some action. Owners will need to hope his injury is shorter in duration than his teammates’. Hayden Soboleski

October 2022 – Despite being a healthy scratch during regular season and playoffs for the Eagles last season, Bowers was retained as an RFA by the Avs organization for another year, and was among the final cuts from the pre-season roster. This strong exhibition play may signal a bounce-back campaign ahead, and hopefully some consistent top-six usage in the minors. That being said, Bowers had to clear waivers in order to be reassigned to the AHL and went unclaimed, so 31 teams aren’t sticking their neck out for this prospect. After a heavy fall from grace last season, its critical that he earn meaningful minutes to show his upside and right the ship. Hayden Soboleski

May 2022 – Bowers slotted into the lineup for his first playoff contest (and first game in weeks) and rose to the occasion with two even-strength assists in a winning OT effort. This will hopefully be enough to keep him in the lineup to let him audition for a new position next fall. He has shown what he can do when given top-six time among other offensively-minded skaters. Hayden Soboleski

March 2022 – After returning from nearly two months on the IR, Bowers has struggled to show the all-around upside he projected in the NCAA. His point totals are down, his shot volume is down, both in part due to his ice time being down. He is spending a lot of time on the AHL Eagles’ fourth line. Bowers needs a fresh start both for his own sake and for fantasy owners, there is too much depth in front of him in this organization. Expect him to land somewhere with an AHL top-six opening for 2022-23 and from there he can work on some NHL call-up time if he can reignite the fire. Hayden Soboleski

November 2021 – Bowers played just one AHL game before suffering an upper-body injury that has kept him out of the lineup for several weeks. With names such as Maltsev, Sikura, Sherwood, Newhook, Ranta, and Kaut all seeing some time with the big club, the pending RFA is likely due for an audition of his own once he is healthy and up to speed. Hayden Soboleski

October 2021 – After an impressive training camp and pre-season, Bowers has been assigned to the AHL for the 2021-22 campaign. His development to a near-NHL-caliber player is still very good news, but Newhook and Ranta have surpassed him on the depth chart at the center and winger positions so even as a call-up candidate when injuries strike his games played outlook isn’t high this season. He’s in the final year of his ELC so expect strong auditions when he gets them. Hayden Soboleski

April 2021 – It’s been a cold start to the AHL campaign for Bowers. He is playing consistently in the top-six, mostly at center ice but occasionally on the wing (where he finished 2020), and so far has just 5 goals and 1 assist in 17 games to show for it. His SOG and PIM rates are up with his aTOI which is a good vital sign, but he is appearing to be more of a complimentary provider and not a true offensive driver himself. The Eagles are one of the lowest scoring teams in the AHL and have some injections coming  out of college in Alex Newhook and Sampo Ranta, so pay attention to where the underperforming Bowers lands in the pecking order to finish the season. As disappointing as it would be for fantasy owners, Bowers becoming a two-way middle-six player (like he was for Team Canada) is a much more likely outcome than him suddenly providing enough offense for top-six consideration. Hayden Soboleski

January 2021 – Bowers begun the 2020-21 campaign as a member of Avalanche ‘taxi squad’, but it was a paper move only. He has now been assigned to the AHL where he should spend the entire year unless multiple injuries force the issue. Colorado simply have too much depth to expect a role to be handed to Bowers until he can become a more dominant AHL player on a consistent basis. This isn’t bad news, because he absolutely has the toolbox to become an NHL middle-six player, but another year of seasoning will help him knock on the door more loudly. Hayden Soboleski

July 2020 – Bowers will reportedly be a member of the Avalanche’s expanded travel roster allowed during the pandemic-adjusted 2020 playoffs. He is unlikely to see game usage ahead of more veteran depth options unless significant injuries occur, but being included for the sake of professional development is still a great sign for the prospect. He showed strong development throughout his AHL rookie season and his 27 points in 48 games is likely to improve when he returns next campaign. Hayden Soboleski

January 2020 – Bowers missed three weeks with an upper-body injury, but has erased any worries by tallying 7 points in 8 games since returning. Not only is he putting up points at the rate we hoped for from the first-round pick, but he’s doing with consistency (he has hit the score sheet in 6 of 8 games since his time missed, not just fluffing his totals in blowout contests). This is a much-needed hot streak for the rookie pro and if he can sustain it for a significant amount of time, he may find himself as one of the more offensively-capable call-up options for the Avs sooner rather than later. Hayden Soboleski

November 2019 – After going pointless in seven games in a dead cold start to his first full AHL campaign, Bowers has slowly adjusted to the pro ranks and currently sits with four points in seven games since. Unfortunately, an upper-body injury has taken him out of play and he is not travelling with the team while he recovers. His fantasy stock has taken a big hit, but he’s shown us the talent and he’s still only 20 years old, so its far too soon to rule out the former first-round-pick. Hayden Soboleski

June 2019 – In eight AHL contests (four regular season, four playoffs), Bowers managed just a single assist. Not exactly a big splash, but he had flashes of offensive dominance and was being used on the powerplay. This bodes well for his first full pro season in 2019-20, which will likely be spent entirely with the Eagles. Hayden Soboleski

March 2019 – Bowers’ NCAA career has ended as he signed his ELC with the Avalanche this week. His production took a big hit in his final collegiate year (only 21 points in 31 games), so despite being a complete player his fantasy upside is in question. He will play for the AHL Eagles for the remainder of 2019-20, where we can better gauge his pro-readiness. Hayden Soboleski

January 2019 – Although Canada did not fare well at the WJCs, Bowers’ play was a positive note. He received a prominent penalty-killing role and served it very well. He was also one of the forwards put out in the final minutes of most games (although that didn’t go well in the Quarterfinal loss). Despite the lack of points, this was a good showing for Bowers, who proved he can serve a bottom-six role well if he can’t step straight into the top-six. Hayden Soboleski

December 2018 – Bowers has made Team Canada for the upcoming WJCs. He is currently projected to play center in the bottom-six, but he is a versatile player who will thrive in whatever role he is given. After a slow start in college, this is a perfect chance for him to prove he can still put up points when he has equally talented linemates. Hayden Soboleski

November 2018 – Losing his gifted winger Tkachuk to  the NHL has hurt Bowers’ stat line in the NCAA. Through 13 games so far he has managed only 5 points. That being said, he is shooting the puck at an enormous rate (over 3 per game) and has an unsustainably low shot%, so he’s due for a boost soon. It’s disappointing that he isn’t carrying a line by himself, but he remains a scoring threat. Likely to turn pro after this year, and that transition will tell us the real story. Hold onto him for now. Hayden Soboleski

May 2018 – Bowers made the Avs look very, very smart after acquiring him. He ended up being a perfect partner for Brady Tkachuk, and the pair had championship NCAA campaigns. Bowers was named to the All-Rookie Team after scoring 17 goals and 15 assists in 40 games played. He proved dangerous all around the net, able to shoot from anywhere. Another season like this one and he could prove to be one of the top offensive prospects in Colorado’s system. Hayden Soboleski

November 2017 – Bowers has been dealt to Colorado as part of the Matt Duchene and Kyle Turris blockbuster. Ottawa’s first-round pick from 2017 has had a strong start to his NCAA career, putting up four goals and two assists in ten games so far with Boston University. This trade doesn’t affect his timeline – he will likely stay with BU for several seasons before turning pro. He is certainly worth keeping an eye on. Hayden Soboleski

June 2017 – Selected by the Senators 28th overall, Bowers is considered a “safe” pick, if there even is such a thing when drafting 18 year-olds, but with two high end centres already in the pipeline , Sens management probably decided to go with a perceived lower risk selection. He’ll likely never post eye-popping offensive numbers but is a smart player with excellent puck possession skills. Think of him as a poor mans Patrice Bergeron. In the off season he trains with the likes of Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon who serve as some pretty excellent examples to learn from. Despite being drafted fourth overall in the 2015 QMJHL draft by the Cape Breton Eagles, and again by Saint John in the 2016 draft in the second round, Bowers has chosen to go the US college route where he’ll marinate for probably two-three years at Boston University beginning in the fall. Brad Phillips

June 2017 – In two USHL Waterloo campaigns, Bowers proved a hard worker who excels in all zones with explosive speed that creates quick separation from defenders. Willing to play tough in the corners and down low, it takes more than most opponents have to knock him off the puck. Shows impressive hockey smarts and a gritty defensive game that accents his effective all-around play. Deadly around the net and adept at setting up teammates with quality passes. The 17-year-old Halifax native had 22 goals and 29 assists in all 60 Black Hawk games, far outpacing his 56-game USHL totals (15 G, 18 A) of 2015-16. His shots-per-game average also rose dramatically to 2.70 from last year’s 1.96. Committed to Boston University, the 6-0, 170-pound center projects as a mid- to late-first-round entry draft pick. His first-place finish at the NHL Combine in aerobic endurance on the bicycle could help further raise his stock. Central Scouting’s Final Rankings placed Bowers 16th among North American skaters. Kevin Wickersham