Colorado Avalanche: Redrafting The 2011 NHL Draft
In the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, the Colorado Avalanche selected their future captain with the first overall pick — Gabriel Landeskog. But in hindsight, we also know so much more about the players selected after him. Did the Avalanche really make the right call?
While some early picks of the 2011 draft class just had their rookie seasons or have yet to play them, others have already played three or four seasons in the NHL. Some of those players will surely emerge as very good NHL players once their times comes. All of the picked players, including our very own Landeskog, are still young and a lot can change in their careers.
But let’s focus on the Colorado Avalanche’s picks. Eligible to be redrafted are all players that were selected after the Avalanche’s respective pick and before their next pick.
Next: Round 1
Round 1
Feb 8, 2015; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog (92) warms up prior to the game against there Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports
2nd overall:
Colorado Avalanche pick — LW Gabriel Landeskog
New pick — LW Gabriel Landeskog
I will admit, I made it sound as though there was another possibility besides picking Landeskog again. But there really isn’t. Landeskog is a top-line forward the Avalanche have been able to rely on for several years now. He is the youngest captain in NHL history and will likely stay in that position for many years to come.
Landeskog has scored 80 goals and recorded 193 points in 281 games for the Avalanche so far.
11th overall (STL):
Colorado Avalanche pick — D Duncan Siemens
New pick — RW Nikita Kucherov (58th to TBL)
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It was a tight race for who would be the new Colorado Avalanche 11th overall pick. However, it was an easy decision to select a new player over defenseman Duncan Siemens. At long last, Siemens just gave his NHL debut in the Avalanches last game of the 2014-15 season. The potential is still there, but he hasn’t quite developed as well as management and fans had hoped. If everything goes well from here, Siemens may become an NHL regular within the next two seasons. Still, the new 11th overall pick would be a different one.
The decision was made between Chicago’s Brandon Saad and Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov. Saad is in his third season with the Blackhawks, Kucherov is in his rookie season. I honestly thought about it for a long time and ultimately decided that they are quite possibly equal in terms of talent. The one difference maker was the seventh round pick that I made in this draft.
The Colorado Avalanche’s 2011 second round pick was traded to St. Louis, the third round pick to the New York Islanders.
Next: Round 4
Round 4
Apr 19, 2015; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames left wing Johnny Gaudreau (13) skates with the puck against the Vancouver Canucks during the second period in game three of the first round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Saddledome. Calgary Flames won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
93th overall:
Colorado Avalanche pick — C Joachim Nermark
New pick — LW Johnny Gaudreau (104th to CGY)
Nobody will be mad if you don’t know who Joachim Nermark is. Chances are, unless you follow the draft and research every player, you have never heard of him. Nermark has never made his way over to North America and is currently active in Sweden’s second tier league.
We all know who the other young fella is, though. “Johnny Hockey” is a Calder Trophy Finalist for 2015. His talent is and always was undeniable, but he dropped into the fourth round of the draft due to height concerns. He is one of the players that prove that someone like 2015 draft prospect Conor Garland are most certainly worth taking a shot at — even earlier than the fourth round. In 81 games with the Flames, Gaudreau has scored 25 goals and added 40 assists.
Next: Round 5
Round 5
Jun 8, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Andrew Shaw (65) celebrates after the Chicago Blackhawks score during the first period of game three of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
123rd overall:
Colorado Avalanche pick — C Garrett Meurs
New pick — C Andrew Shaw (139th to CHI)
Garrett Meurs joined the Colorado Avalanche organization in 2013 and has since played in 84 AHL games, recording 14 points, and 30 ECHL contests, where he collected 22 points. Not the greatest numbers for a 5-foot-11 sniping center. In every year of his career, Meurs has had about equal amounts of goals and assists, which would be great if he could get his production up in the AHL as well. Unfortunately, it does not look like he will be able to do so.
The Chicago Blackhawks have made the right decision once again, after selecting Brandon Saad in the second round. Shaw actually joined the pros in the first season after the draft and has played in 244 NHL games since. Plus, he was a member of the 2013 Stanley Cup winning roster. Shaw is a gritty forward that any NHL team could need on their bottom lines — including the Colorado Avalanche.
Next: Round 6
Round 6
153rd overall:
Colorado Avalanche pick — D Gabriel Beaupré
New pick — G Lars Volden (181st to BOS)
Gabriel Beaupré is another player that is still in the Colorado Avalanche organization and is hoping to make the jump one day. So far, he only has 28 games in the CHL, 11 in the ECHL and 143 in the AHL to his record. He works hard, plays a physical game and likes to block shots. His NHL potential is questionable, though.
The new pick may surprise many people, as Lars Volden is probably widely unknown in North America. However, he’s got potential. Volden played his first IIHF World Cup game for Norway as a 20-year-old and has added many games for the team ever since — including an appearance at the Olympic Games in Sochi. There is obviously no guarantee that he will ever come over to North America, let alone play in the NHL. But he is a player that I’d be willing to use a pick on, especially when it is this late in the draft.
Next: Round 7
Round 7
May 29, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Ondrej Palat (18) celebrates after scoring a goal against the New York Rangers during the third period in game seven of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
197th overall:
Colorado Avalanche pick — D Dillon Donnelly
New pick — LW Ondrej Palat (208th to TBL)
Dillon Donnelly is another defenseman the Colorado Avalanche picked in 2011. He used up all five years of junior eligibility playing in the QMJHL before retiring from competitive hockey in 2014.
And as we select Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ondrej Palat instead, we realize that we got through the entire draft without selecting a single defenseman. Oh well, nobody would argue with the picks today if the Avalanche had made them. Palat has been an outstanding player for the Lightning for three years now, recording 126 points in 170 games. I also promised you an explanation for why I picked Nikita Kucherov over Brandon Saad and will just leave you with the following.
Palat — MacKinnon — Kucherov
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