with the 31st pick in the NHL Draft the Colorado Avalanche selected Mikhail Gulyayev a Russian offensive defenseman who could be the perfect fit for the Avs’ system. Here are some of his highlights. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUIdaWnZlbE
The 2023 NHL Draft has come and gone and the Colorado Avalanche, in a decision surprising to many of us, made both of the first-round selections they ended up walking into the draft with while also using their own picks in rounds 5-7. That means there are five new prospects in the Avalanche pipeline. Let’s see who the Avs got.…
The Colorado Avalanche made two selections in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville on Wednesday night. The Avs originally had the 27th overall pick and opted to keep it. For their first selection, they chose right-shot centerman Calum Ritchie from the OHL’s Oshawa Generals. The 6’2” forward brings undeniable size and a keen hockey sense that…
Since I started covering the Colorado Avalanche in some form back around 2009, the Avs have had two first-round picks as many years as they’ve not had a first-round pick at all. That is to say, it’s happened twice, back in 2011 when the team selected Gabe Landeskog and Duncan Siemens and 2019 when they took Bowen Byram and Alex…
Colorado’s biggest need has been filled. What would you most like to see the Avs address next? AJ: I’ve always been a defense-first kind of guy, but even with the hole(s) on the Avalanche blueline, I want to see how they fill the myriad of forward jobs. I wonder if the injury issues last year will push the team to…
With Colorado picking 27th in the NHL Draft there are tons of different options but Michael Hrabal, David Edstrom, and Otto Stenberg share a number of similarities to other players they have picked in recent history. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-ZdkOjgGvM
The 2021 NHL Draft is in the books and the Colorado Avalanche selected four players throughout the process as they added to their prospect pool. Over the course of two days and 224 picks, the Avs found four players who fit the traits we’ve come to expect from the scouting department of the organization even though this was the first…...
I know, I know. You can’t really grade a draft class until a few years down the road when you see how players develop and what they become in the future and all of that. But that’s no fun because giving everyone an INCOMPLETE on draft day isn’t something people want to read. How did the Avalanche do? Who are…...
Adversity often teaches us the most important lessons of how to navigate the unpredictability of life. Riding the emotional roller coaster through the fires of hell and back to the top of the mountain creates a natural learning environment. What we take from those lessons often go on to define many of the decisions we make later on when presented…...
Here’s our final swing at a mock draft for the 2020 NHL Draft. It’s the same mock we did on this week’s Free Skate Friday but not in video form! If you want to watch it all unfold and us explain our picks, here’s the YouTube link. Otherwise, he’s our final mock draft for the 2020 draft class. 1. NY…...
Okay, let’s try this again. The Avs were all set to select 24th because of division winners and such and then the NHL decided to ignore them completely and pushed the Avs to the 25th pick instead of 24. Throwing out everything we learned about the history of the 24th pick, we’ll just run down the same parameters but with…...
As our written and video content about the upcoming NHL Draft carries on, today I’m going to delve into some of the fits for the Avalanche in the first round that I like the best. Drafting isn’t so much as trying to find the best player overall but it’s more about finding the player that will best fit your organization.…...
Every year when the dust settles on the playoff races and the draft order starts settling into place, people begin to look at where their team lands and what that pick could mean for the franchise. For the Avalanche, they find themselves in very uncomfortable territory. With the 24th pick, they are slated to make their lowest selection in the…...
Coming into the 2020 NHL Draft, the Avalanche find themselves in an unfamiliar position. For the first time in many years, the NHL Draft was a secondary (at best) storyline for the franchise as they weren’t rooting for another team to lose or gauging their own draft position throughout the season. Following a strong regular season and second consecutive loss…...
The NHL continues to make it clear they would like to hold the NHL Draft in early June before the season resumes. This creates a handful of complications and would need a significant amount of tweaking in order to get it accomplished but ultimately they can hold the draft whenever they want. Today’s topic: How do you feel about the…...
This is the third and final installment of the Avalanche Prospect Video Series! Today AJ Haefele and Jesse Montano break down the merits of USNTDP forward Matt Boldy and why he could be a darkhorse at the fourth pick. Be sure you’re following all of our draft content at the BSN NHL Draft Central! THIS VIDEO IS BROUGHT TO YOU…
1. New Jersey Devils – Jack Hughes, C, USNTDP (USHL) I’m holding firm here on Hughes. I like Nico Hischier but I think the Hughes/Hischier 1A/2A center combination is too good of a temptation on how to build a roster. New Jersey is also an organization with deep USA Hockey ties so they’ll have a significant amount of information on…...
Andre Simone and AJ Haefele are back this week with another look ahead at this summer’s NHL Draft. This episode they focus on what Colorado should look to do if they fall out of the coveted top two spots and why targeting a defenseman might be the right play.
Statistics Scout Quotes Nicolas Beaudin is a diminutive yet cunning defenceman that is able to use his size to his advantage. His mobility is all but elite at this point; he primarily uses his speed to open up passing and shooting lanes in the offensive zone. With and without the puck he stays composed and in-position, allowing him to analyze...
Statistics Scout Quotes Bokk has outstanding stickhandling ability. He has incredible hands and can make plays in a phone booth. He pairs this with very good vision and passing skill. Bokk has high-end hockey IQ, he always seems to make smart plays with the puck and knows how to get open without it. Bokk is strong on his skates, and...
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