2022 Top 25 Under 25

Colorado Avalanche Top 25 Under 25: #20 Trent Miner

A goaltender ready to prove his place in the organization.

By Ezra Parter Aug 16, 2022, 10:00am MDT

The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by members of the Mile High Hockey staff. Eight writers have ranked players under the age of 25 as of August 1, 2022, in the Colorado Avalanche organization. Each participant used their own metric of value to rank each player. Now, we’ll count down each of the 25 players ranked.

Player: Trent Miner

Age: 21

Position: G

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 185 lbs

Likely 2022-23 team: Utah Grizzlies

Final Rank: #20

2021 Rank: Unranked

High Rank: #16 (Jackie)

Low Rank: #23 (Ezra)

2021-22 Statistics:

Utah: 28 GP, 16 Wins, 7 Shutouts, 2.72 GAA, .910 SV%

Drafted in the seventh round by the Avalanche in 2019, the expectations for goaltender Trent Miner were never sky high. But every season, Miner has shown a little more polish, a little more poise, and a little more promise.

In his first season as an Avalanche prospect, Miner struggled a bit with the Vancouver Giants in the WHL, posting just a .901 save percentage as part of an underachieving goaltender tandem. The following year, he was back with Vancouver in the COVID-19 shortened season and played a bit better with a .915 save percentage and 2.16 GAA after starting the season with the Colorado Eagles, where he struggled with an .899 in five games for his first taste of professional hockey.

All we can say is: wow. What a set of saves from this weekend by @Avalanche prospect and @WHLGiants goaltender Trent Miner. pic.twitter.com/GcbQMdRl3e
— EP Rinkside (@EPRinkside) September 23, 2019

Last season, fellow goalie prospect Justus Annunen beat him out for the Eagles’ backup job and forced Miner down to the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies for the majority of the season. That ultimately may have been the best situation for him as he emerged as a solid ECHL starter, helping the team make the playoffs where he maintained a .920 in 13 games.

Miner isn’t a guy who will wow fans with athleticism or make those saves goalies have no business making, instead he makes his mark with positioning and poise in the net. If he is to make the big leagues one day, he’ll have to become the type of goalie whose mind works faster than the play in front of him. He’s shown he can do that in the ECHL, and with Annunen and Jonas Johansson likely to man the AHL Eagles’ net this season Miner is expected to do so again.

If injuries hit the guys in front of him, Miner will need to quickly adjust to the heightened speed of play to capitalize on his opportunity to show his coaches and fans he’s ready for more.