Colorado Avalanche: Evaluating Late Round Picks

Josh Anderson

Josh Anderson

Position: Defenseman

Shoots: Left

Height: 6’2″

Weight: 221 pounds

Current Team: Prince George Cougars, WHL

Draft Selection: #71, 3rd round

Probability for Success: 2-3 years development, 7th defenseman

Defenseman Josh Anderson was scouted to go anywhere from #61 to #186, and the Colorado Avalanche used their #71 pick to get him. As the team hadn’t chosen a defenseman yet, it’s not surprising that’s the position they picked in the third round.

The young Anderson — he doesn’t turn 18 until August — already shows good size. With all three picks thus far, plus the acquisition of Rocco Grimaldi, the team is showing favoritism for compact players. Such players often don’t show as much wear and tear.

Unfortunately, Anderson himself is currently recovering from a back injury — a cracked vertebra. The bone should be healed by now, but he’ll probably have to do some physical therapy over the summer to get his strength back up.

Anderson is a shut-down defenseman and apparently very nasty to play against. And apparently he’s not afraid to throw down — here’s the first of two fights he had in the same game last season:

Just like any defenseman, he’ll take a couple years to develop further before he can even think of entering the NHL. Josh Anderson could be an eventual seventh defenseman for the Colorado Avalanche.

Next: Adam Werner