The 2015 NHL Draft features some high-end talent — just like any other draft. Draft previews and pre-analyses are usually 90 percent about the first round and sometimes just the projected top-picks. But we should not forget that there are always some sleepers — call them sleepers, hidden gems or diamonds in the rough — that some teams are lucky enough to select.
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It is a combination of good scouting and, without a doubt, a very good portion of luck. Sometimes you have players that are never outstanding in their junior careers, but for different reasons simply explode once they join the pros. Other examples would be players that have big red flags that they manage to overcome.
There have been many late-round steals in the history of the NHL draft. Some examples I always like in this discussion include 1998 171st overall pick Pavel Datsyuk, 2000 205th overall pick Henrik Lundqvist and, to mention more recent examples, 2011 105th overall pick Johnny Gaudreau or undrafted free agent Tyler Johnson.
As mentioned before, it is always a lot of luck involved. Nevertheless, we will take a look at some of the potential steals in the 2015 NHL Draft and why they Colorado Avalanche should have an eye on them.
Next: D Rasmus Andersson