After a long weekend which featured three trades and seven selections in the NHL Entry Draft, the Colorado Avalanche can close the book on draft season and prepare for the start of Free Agency next Wednesday, July 1st. Before launching into our Free Agency coverage this Monday, it’s time to take stock of the Avalanche’s draft activity.
In the weeks leading up to the NHL Entry Draft, we speculated here that the Avalanche’s recent uptick in European scouting could lead to a larger European contingent in this year’s draft and even a Top 10 pick for Mikko Rantanen, whom we selected in our final mock draft. Even so, the severity of the Avalanche’s shift towards Europe was shocking. Between their 7 draft picks and a pair of trades, the Avalanche added 1 Finn, 2 Swedes, and 3 Russians to what was once one of the most Canadian rosters in the NHL.
Patrick Roy’s influence was apparent throughout the Avs’ draft weekend. Not only did the team target the kinds of large physical players who Roy covets, but they also drafted a trio of players from Roy’s former stomping grounds, the QMJHL.
If you missed any of the Avs’ activity this weekend you can catch up with a full catalogue below.
Trades, Signings, and Miscellany:
- Avalanche Trade Boston’s 6th Round Pick for Carl Soderberg
- Avalanche Sign Carl Soderberg for 5 years, $23.75 million
- Avalanche Trade O’Reilly and McGinn for Zadorov, Grigorenko, Compher and 31 overall
- Avalanche Trade 31 for 39 and the return of their 2016 2nd and 6th
- Avalanche will Qualify Joey Hishon, but not Jordan Caron
- Avalanche invite Quebec Remparts defenseman Raphael Maheux to training camp
New Player Profiles:
Avalanche Draft:
- 10 (1) – Mikko Rantanen, Right Wing, TPS (Liiga). Draft Piece & Prospect Profile
- 39 (2) – A.J. Greer, Left Wing, Boston University (NCAA). Draft Piece & Prospect Profile
- 40 (2) – Nicolas Meloche, Defense, Baie-Comeau (QMJHL). Draft Piece & Prospect Profile
- 71 (3) – Jean-Christophe Beaudin, Center, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL). Draft Piece & Prospect Profile
- 101 (4) – Andrei Mironov, Defense, Dynamo Moscow (KHL). Draft Piece
- 161 (6) – Sergei Boikov, Defense, Drummondville (QMJHL). Draft Piece
- 191 (7) – Gustav Olhaver, Center, Rogle JR (SHL). Draft Piece
Quick Hits:
- For the first time in team history, the Avalanche did not select a player from either the OHL or the WHL.
- At 10th overall, Mikko Rantanen was the Avalanche’s highest draft pick from a European league since the team selected Sweden’s Jonas Johansson 28th overall in 2002.
- At 39th overall, A.J. Greer is the Avalanche’s highest draft pick from the NCAA in team history.
- Greer is also the Avalanche’s 3rd highest pick ever from a United States development path. Kevin Shattenkirk (14th) and Ryan Stoa (34th) were picked off the US National Development Team before they joined the NCAA.
- Andrei Mironov is the first Avalanche draft pick from the KHL since the team selected Denis Parshin in 2004.
