Colorado Avalanche: Redrafting The 2008 NHL Draft

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The Colorado Avalanche’s 2008 draft did not feature a first round selection. However, I believe that not many were sad about that. The reason why the pick was dealt is a Colorado Avalanche legend — Adam Foote.

In 1989, the Quebec Nordiques selected Foote 22nd overall. He spent 13 seasons with the Nordiques and Avalanche, before joining the Columbus Blue Jackets. Whether Foote didn’t like it in Ohio or Ohio didn’t like Adam Foote is an unsolved mystery to this day. But fact is, Foote returned in 2008 in exchange for the Avalanche’s 2008 first round draft pick.

Surely a high price for a 37-year-old, but come on, it’s Adam Foote. The Blue Jackets dealt the pick to Philadelphia later and it was used on defenseman Luca Sbisa, who is now a Vancouver Canuck. Now think about what’s cooler, Foote retiring in Denver or having Sbisa? Thought so.

But let’s focus on the Avs’ picks. What did they do, what could they have done better? Eligible to be redrafted are all players that were selected after the Avalanche’s respective pick and before their next pick.

Next: Round 2

Round 2

Apr 2, 2015; Saint Paul, MN, USA; New York Rangers forward Derek Stepan (21) shoots during the first period against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

50th overall:
Colorado Avalanche pick — D Cameron Gaunce
New pick — C Derek Stepan (51st to NYR)

After the draft, Cameron Gaunce spent another two years in the OHL, before joining the Lake Erie Monsters in 2010. He recorded 22 points in 61 games in his first season with the Monsters and his development seemed to go perfectly. He even earned himself an appearance in 11 Avalanche games in his first pro season. However, the following year he would return to the Monsters and never play for the Avalanche again. Gaunce is now with the Dallas Stars organization, where he is a pure AHL defenseman.

Derek Stepan has had a much better career so far. After his draft year, Stepan joined the University of Wisconsin and captained Team USA at the World Juniors in 2010. He joined the New York Rangers the following season and kept his development going. Stepan had a breakout season in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign, as he scored 44 points in 48 games. Today, he is the Ranger’s No. 1 center and one of their best players.

61st overall:
Colorado Avalanche pick — G Peter Delmas
New pick — G Braden Holtby (93rd to WSH)

Peter Delmas is another one of the many picks the Colorado Avalanche used on a goaltender that would never play in the NHL. Highlight of his career was probably playing for the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers. Seriously, that’s their name. Anyway, after years in the AHL and ECHL, Delmas decided to quit his professional hockey dreams and enrolled at the University of Western Ontario.

The Washington Capitals showed everyone how you draft goalies. A third round pick that needs some time in junior hockey and the AHL, but then turns into a great, reliable NHL option. In the 2014-15 season, Holtby played all but nine (86) games for the Capitals — including playoffs.

The Colorado Avalanche’s 3rd round pick was traded to the Florida Panthers.

Next: Round 4

Round 4

Apr 21, 2015; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames defenseman T.J. Brodie (7) skates with the puck against the Vancouver Canucks during the second period in game four of the first round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Saddledome. Calgary Flames won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

110th overall:
Colorado Avalanche pick — C Kelsey Tessier
New pick — D T.J. Brodie (114th to MIN)

Kelsey Tessier was a high-risk, high-reward pick. A 5-foot-9 forward with top notch puckhandling skills and hockey sense. Unfortunately, the reward stayed out. After three years in the AHL, Tessier moved over to Sweden, where hockey is played with less physicality, which helped him a lot.

T.J. Brodie found a quick way to get into the NHL: He played his first games for the Calgary Flames in 2011 and many more would follow. Brodie needed time to mature and develop and therefore split his first pro seasons between the AHL and NHL. The 2014-15 campaign was only his second full season as an NHL defenseman. Now that he finally arrived, Brodie is turning more and more into an elite D-man.

Next: Round 5

Round 5

Feb 26, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Cam Atkinson (13) against the Montreal Canadiens at Nationwide Arena. The Canadiens 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

140th overall:
Colorado Avalanche pick — C Mark Olver
New pick —RW Cam Atkinson (157th to CBJ)

Mark Olver is similar to Kelsey Tessier in the regard that both are small centers with great hockey sense and vision. However, Olver made his way into the NHL and Tessier did not. Olver played his first NHL games in 2011 and split the following two seasons evenly between the Colorado Avalanche and Lake Erie Monsters. However, he had to spend the entire 2013-14 campaign in the AHL and then decided to move over to Russia.

Speaking of small forwards, we are selecting 5-foot-8 Cam Atkinson instead of Mark Olver. Atkinson needed a year longer to make his way into the NHL, but has been a regular for the past two seasons. Size was always a concern here, but Atkinson is proving that size is not everything. He has recorded 112 points in 219 games with the Blue Jackets so far.

Next: Round 6

Round 6

Mar 13, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Dallas Stars defenseman Jason Demers (4) skates with the puck as Washington Capitals left wing Andre Burakovsky (65) chases in the third period at Verizon Center. The Stars won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

167th overall (BOS):
Colorado Avalanche pick — D Joel Chouinard
New pick — RW Ben Smith (169th to CHI)

Joel Chouinard has yet to play an NHL game, but is not giving up. He is now with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, but has also played for the Grand Rapids Griffins and Iowa Wild this season. He scored five goals and recorded ten points in 27 games for the Wild, who were the worst AHL team this past season.

Ben Smith had been a member of the Chicago Blackhawks for five seasons when he was traded to the San José Sharks for Andrew Desjardins in 2015. He is one of the few Blackhawks players that won’t be happy if Chicago wins the cup this year — and Andrew Desjardins gets to lift it.

Round 7

Apr 11, 2015; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres goalie Anders Lindback (35) looks to make a glove save during the first period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

200th overall:
Colorado Avalanche pick — C Nathan Condon
New pick — G Anders Lindbäck (207th to NSH)

With their last pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, the Colorado Avalanche decided to select Nathan Condon. I have to admit, I had no idea who he is and still don’t really. Condon was drafted out of the USHL and later played in the NCAA for the University of Minnesota for four years. The 2014-15 season was split between the ECHL and the Norwegian league.

Anders Lindbäck is one of the NHL goalies with the loudest critics. He often struggles with inconsistency and is far from elite. However, he is an NHL goaltender after all and finding NHL talent in the seventh round of a draft isn’t easy. Perhaps he will get his struggles under control next season, as he played better than ever before for the Buffalo Sabres.

Next: Redrafting 2007

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