Avalanche select Josh Anderson 71st overall

The Colorado Avalanche added to their large crop of oversized blue liners today when they added defenseman Josh Anderson of the Prince George Cougars from the Western Hockey League. Anderson is 6’2″, 220 pounds and scored 1 goal, 5 assists for 6 points in 39 games played.

Anderson’s draft rankings were all over the place, ranging from 61 from TSN and Bob McKenzie to 186 by Future Considerations. Anderson only played 39 games this season due to a back injury. The defenseman suffered a cracked vertebra, according to the Prince George Citizen.

From Future Considerations:

“Definition of a solid defensive defenseman. He is a feisty, responsible defender whose game is predicated on a smooth strong stride, good crossover work and long wingspan.”

From the Hockey Prospect Black Book:

“Plays a fairly quiet and responsible defensive game, logging top four minutes for his club and playing as a key penalty killer. He immediately stands out as as big but a bit sluggish. On the plus side, Anderson is blessed with a sizeable frame and superior lower-body strength. He’s a fairly disciplined player on most nights, but he can be occasionally provoked, finding himself involved in more than a couple fights this year. His skating is fairly subpar at this point, but he arrives to the draft table with a ready-made NHL frame.”

Of the prospects drafted today, this is the biggest wait-and-see the Avalanche have invested in so far.