Bowers was acquired in a trade that sent Reilly Walsh to Boston.
NEWARK, N.J. --On June 26, the New Jersey Devils traded young defenseman Reilly Walsh to the Boston Bruins in exchange for 23-year-old Shane Bowers. Listed as a center, the Halifax native is 6-foot-2, 186 pounds.
Like Walsh, he has appeared in one NHL game and has spent most of his professional career in the American Hockey League (AHL). Between the Colorado Eagles and Providence Bruins, he has appeared in 174 games, scoring 31 goals and collecting 66 points.
Below are three things to know about the Devils newest center.
His Start in Colorado and Connection to Graves
Bowers was drafted by the Ottawa Senators at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft 28th overall. While still attending Boston University, his rights were traded to the Colorado Avalanche as part of the package to acquire Matt Duchene. After two seasons of playing college hockey, he signed a three-year entry level contract with the Avalanche and began his career with their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles.
The 2018-19 Eagles roster boasted a few past and current Devils players including A.J. Greer, Mason Geertsen, David Warsofsky and Ryan Graves.
Bowers most impressive season would come the following year during the 2019-20 campaign. He earned 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 48 games.
A One-for-One Swap for Kinkaid
Since the Devils traded Keith Kinkaid to the Columbus Blue Jackets, he's become a journeyman playing for the following organizations: Montreal Canadiens, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, and Boston Bruins.
On Feb. 25, 2023, Kinkaid was traded to the Avalanche organization in exchange for Bowers. The newly acquired Devils forward appeared in 20 games for Providence and finished the 2022-23 season with seven points.
Devils Acquire Another Former First Rounder Who May Need to Reinvent His Game
What do Michael McLeod, Curtis Lazar, and Nolan Foote all have in common? Each was a former first round draft selection who throughout their careers had to reinvent their game.
This past season, McLeod proved his worth with an outstanding postseason performance. The former 12th overall pick has embraced his role as a fourth line center, and has become a key piece of New Jersey's puzzle. Lazar only appeared in four games for the Devils having to take time to recover from injury. He previously spoke about the ups and downs of his career with Ben Kuzma of The Province.
“I’ve had advice from so many people because my career has been so up and down and I was so close to being out of the league,” said Lazar. “I had to define myself. Passion and having fun have always been my backbone, but the one thing is you can never take a day for granted. Being appreciative for what you get in this league and every shift does wonders for you.” (from 'Canucks Q&A: How Curtis Lazar won at happiness, career challenges and fantasy football,' The Province, Dec 19, 2022).
Throughout the 2022-23 campaign, the Devils have raved about the development of 22-year-old Foote and seeing him take the steps to becoming a full time NHLer as a bottom-six forward. Bowers could be put on a similar track as Foote as he continues to develop his game.
Bowers will most likely be a mainstay in the AHL playing for the Utica Comets. Similar to Greer in the 2021-22 season, he could be utilized as a call up potentially making his Devils debut during the 2023-24 campaign. In the meantime, Comets general manager Dan MacKinnon added another center to his team, which was something he wanted to address this summer.
"When you’re trying to play that fast system that the (parent New Jersey) Devils play, you need to be strong in the middle of the ice,” MacKinnon said in a recent interview with the Daily Sentinel. “I don’t think we were ever strong enough there. That’s something that we’ll look to address this offseason.” (from 'Utica Comets’ GM MacKinnon: Offseason focus on adding center depth', Daily Sentinel, June 15, 2023).