Avalanche development camp winners
Sergei Boikov (2015 6th round pick)
With the first Avalanche development camp winner comes the first big surprise. Sergei Boikov was not exactly a standout player in the QMJHL, but the Avalanche must have seen something in him. After all, he was still just a 6th round pick.
The Russian D-man was one of the best skaters out there. While he still needs to work on a more powerful stride, he is an extremely smooth skater. Boikov had no problems with any of the agility drills. Furthermore, he showed that he is a more than decent puck handler with some offensive skill.
Andreas Martinsen (2015 free-agent signing)
We still don’t know exactly how well Martinsen will do in North America when he is among other professionals. But boy, did he look good in development camp. When you just look around, you can tell that he is a more mature player than most others. He has a large filled-out frame and looks like a man among boys — which is essentially what he was.
For a player his size, his skating is very good and especially powerful. But what really stood out is that Martinsen brings a lot of skill. He knows how to move around with the puck, how to pass it and how to shoot it. A big forward with skill — exactly what Patrick Roy wants.
Next: Avalanche development camp loser