Colorado Avalanche History: Top 5 Draft Picks
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The Colorado Avalanche go into the 2015 NHL Draft with the #10 overall draft pick. In the early years of the Avalanche, #10 was a very high pick, one they didn’t often see.
For the first three years, the Avs tended to have draft picks in the mid-20’s in the first round. It wasn’t until 1998 that Colorado had a high draft selection — #12, to be exact, but we’ll get to that in a moment.
There have been some pretty good draft picks for the Avalanche — Wojtek Wolski (#21 in 2004), Chris Stewart (#18 in 2006), Kevin Shattenkirk (#14 in 2007). However, let’s rank the top 5 draft picks in Colorado Avalanche history.
Spoiler Alert: Not all are first round picks.
5. Tyson Barrie, #64 in 2009
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie scores the game tying goal. The Avalanche defeat the Stars 3-2 in the overtime shootout. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
This spot was originally going to go to Ryan O’Reilly. However, considering the hullabaloo about his current contract negotiations I decided to take O’Reilly off the list since he might not be an Avalanche much longer.
Let’s focus on Tyson Barrie. The young defenseman was an outlier. He’s small, and he initially didn’t seem to fit into head coach Patrick Roy‘s system. Last season coach Roy even sent Barrie back to the AHL for a brief stint.
Starting in the second half of the 2013-14 season, Barrie became such a valuable part of the team that his early exit from the playoffs thanks to Matt Cooke‘s knee-on-knee hit was cited as one of the reasons the Colorado Avalanche eventually lost to the Minnesota Wild. That’s high praise for a kid who didn’t look like he’d make the team permanently at the beginning of the season.
This season, Tyson Barrie was one of six players on the team who earned 50+ points, becoming only the fourth Avalanche defenseman to do so. (Along with Sandis Ozolinsh, Rob Blake and Ray Bourque.)
4. Nathan MacKinnon, #1 in 2013
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon celebrates a goal against the Dallas Stars. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Don’t be outraged at Nathan MacKinnon’s placement as fourth most important — it’s still early days in his career. Two or three years from now, he may well be #1.
In fact, center Nathan MacKinnon was the Avalanche’s first-ever first overall draft pick. The selection came after the team’s worst season, during which they finished dead last in the Western Conference and second to last in the entire NHL.
MacKinnon made the team right away, and I think it’s safe to say he lived up to expectations. He earned 63 points, including 24 goals, on his way to winning the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.
Last season was a bit of a bump in the road for MacKinnon. He earned just 38 points, finishing behind Barrie on the team. He also had to miss the last 18 games of the season with a broken foot. However, MacKinnon is still so young — he turns 20 just before training camp. His future is bound to be very bright.
3. Matt Duchene, #3 in 2009
Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene is a pure goal scorer. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
It was tough putting center Matt Duchene in the third slot — I think of him as a franchise player. However, a couple other players have made slightly more significant contributions to the team.
That said, Matt Duchene really is a franchise player for the Avalanche. When he was drafted in 2009, he was the highest draft pick the Avalanche had had up to that point. Since then he has consistently been a leading scorer for the team. He finished fourth this season with 55 points — another of the six players who earned 50+ points.
In the 2013-14 season Matt Duchene led the entire team with 70 points, despite missing the last 11 games of the season after his own teammate inadvertently laid a knee-on-knee on him. (Jamie McGinn)
Duchene was second on the team for scoring in that terrible 2013-13 season with 43 points. In his sophomore season he led the entire team in points with 67, and even his rookie year was impressive with 55 points and the third place in scoring.
Duchene has also become a leader both on and off the ice. In fact, when coach Roy offered the alternate captain position to veteran Jarome Iginla, many Avalanche fans stated a preference for Duchene earning that honor.
Matt Duchene has also become famous for “The Dutchy:”
2. Gabriel Landeskog, #2 in 2011
Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog has turned into the type of power forward coach Roy wants to see. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
As the Colorado Avalanche continued to struggle, they earned the second-overall selection in 2011, and they used it to pick Gabriel Landeskog. The young left wing made the team his first year and, just like MacKinnon, won the Calder Trophy.
Prior to the 2012-13 season, the Avalanche named Landeskog captain of the team — he holds the record as the youngest player to ever be named an NHL captain. Since then, he has strongly grown into his captain’s role. As a power forward, he is a role model on the ice. Landeskog is also beloved by fans and media alike. For his leadership alone he earns the second position on this list.
The last two season Landeskog has finished second on the team for scoring. In the 2013-14 season Landeskog recorded 26 goals and 39 assists for 65 points in the regular season and three goals and an assist in the playoffs. This season he earned 23 goals and 36 assists for 59 points, finishing only behind Jarome Iginla.
Landeskog saw some adversity this season with scoring. However, he showed up every shift regardless, and labeled opponents with a well-timed hit or even participated in captain fights to keep his team motivated.
1. Alex Tanguay, #12 in 1998
Mar 4, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Avalanche left wing Alex Tanguay (40) with his son Samuel is honored for his 1000th game played before the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
This is not a mistake. Consider this — Alex Tanguay scored the game-winning goal in the 2001 Game 7 Stanley Cup playoff game against the New Jersey Devils. Scratch that — he scored the Cup-winning goal for the Colorado Avalanche. Stanley Cup kind of trumps everything else.
Though a veteran now, Tanguay is still contributing. He has the most accurate shot in the NHL (well, his shooting percentage is the best). He used that shot to score 22 goals and earn 33 assists for 55 points this season.
Though he hasn’t played his entire career with the Colorado Avalanche, Tanguay has spent eight seasons with the team. Except for last season when he was injured, Tanguay has never earned fewer than 48 points for the Avs — and some seasons he’s been in the 60s and 70s.
It all comes down to that Stanley Cup, though. Like I said, it’s hard to trump the Cup-winning goal — though I look forward to the other four players on this list trying.
Next: TBT: Avs Select Matt Duchene
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