Colorado Avalanche: An Early Look At First Round Draft Options
Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Conner Bleackley poses for a photo with team officials after being selected as the number twenty-three overall pick to the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
As sad as it is for us, the fans of the team that won the Central Division this past season, the playoffs are virtually out of reach this year. With ten games left to play, the Colorado Avalanche sits ten points behind the Winnipeg Jets, who currently own the second wild card spot.
Out of those ten games, nine are against Western Conference rivals. Out of those nine, six are against current playoff teams, and one is against the defending champion from California — the LA Kings. Even if we beat half of them, on top of the supposedly easier games against the bottom teams from Edmonton (twice, including tonight, March 25, 2015) and Buffalo, it just does not seem realistic.
Therefore, it is time to take an early look at the draft, while we are still hoping for the team to somehow achieve the impossible — get in the playoffs.
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Assuming that the Avalanche does not win the Draft Lottery, they own the tenth overall pick as of now (draft lottery odds: 3.5%).
Aside from the top-two picks Connor McDavid of the Erie Otters (OHL) and Jack Eichel of Boston Univerity (NCAA), there is plenty of depth in this year’s draft. That gives a team many options — even with the tenth overall pick.
The list is created assuming that only McDavid, Eichel, Hanifin, Strome, Crouse and Marner get picked in the top ten. That leaves us with a lot of players that could potentially end up becoming top ten picks. Again, this is a list of players that could be available at tenth overall, not a ranking.
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