Colby Cave
| Birthday: 1994-12-26 | Position: C |
| Eligible for draft: 2013 | Shoots: Left |
| Drafted: | Height: 6-0 |
| Acquired: Signed as free agent, 2015. | Weight: 190 lbs. |
Probability of Success
- D
History
2009-10: Colby Cave skated for the Battlefords Stars in the Saskatchewan Midget Hockey League. He scored 15 goals with 21 assists and 40 penalty minutes in 42 games. The Stars finished 11th in the 12 team league, missing the SMHL playoffs.
2010-11: Cave, originally selected by Kootenay in the 2009 WHL bantam draft, was obtained by Swift Current as part of the Cody Eakin trade in January and made his WHL debut in a late season game with the Broncos. He was -1 with no points nor penalties in his only WHL game. Cave played three junior A games with the Battlefords North Stars and was the second-leading scorer for the midget AAA Battlefords Stars. He had 1 assist in three games with the North Stars. Cave scored 12 goals with 22 assists and 28 penalty minutes in 44 midget AA games.
2011-12: Cave skated in 70 of 72 games for Swift Current in his first WHL season. He scored 6 goals with 10 assists and was -20 with 36 penalty minutes. The Broncos missed the WHL playoffs, finishing fifth in the East Division.
2012-13: Cave was the fifth-leading scorer for Swift Current in his second season as the Broncos returned to the WHL playoffs after a two-year absence. He scored 21 goals with 20 assists and was +1 with 39 penalty minutes, skating in all 72 regular season games. Swift Current finished third in the East Division, falling to the Calgary Hitmen in a first-round series. Cave scored 2 goals with 2 assists and was +1 with 8 penalty minutes in five playoff games. Cave was ranked 89th amongst North American skaters in the Central Scouting final rankings but was not selected in the 2013 NHL Draft.
2013-14: Cave attended the San Jose Sharks prospect camp in the summer but was not offered a contract before returning to Swift Current for his third WHL season. A team captain for the Broncos, he was the team’s third-leading scorer with 33 goals and 37 assists in 72 regular season games and was +20 with 30 penalty minutes. The Broncos finished second to Regina in the East Division and lost to Medicine Hat in a first-round playoff series. Cave had 2 assists with no penalties and was -6 in six playoff games. He played in one game for the WHL All-Stars in the Subway Series against Russia and was -1 with no points nor penalties.
2014-15: Cave signed a three-year entry-level contract with Boston in April 2015 following an overage season with Swift Current and made his pro hockey debut with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. He had no points nor penalties in one regular season game with Providence. Once again a team captain for the Broncos, Cave was the second-leading scorer for Swift Current behind 2015 NHL Draft prospect Jake DeBrusk. He scored 35 goals with a team-high 40 assists in 72 regular season games and was +3 with 52 penalty minutes. The Broncos finished third in the East Division before being swept by Regina in a first-round playoff series. Cave scored 2 goals and was -6 with 2 penalty minutes in four playoff games.
Talent Analysis
Cave skates hard and he has a big shot. He loves to stay around the net but his physical play can be on-again and off-again at times. He needs to work on his skating in order to make it to the next level, but he definitely has potential.
Future
Cave is skating for the AHL's Providence Bruins in 2015-16. Seeing steady ice time as a 21-year-old, he has been a consistent two-way player in his first pro season. A point-per-game scorer in junior hockey he projects to playing more of a second- or third-line role in the NHL.
