Jun 24, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; NHL commissioner Gary Bettman speaks on stage before the start of the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft at the First Niagra Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Tyson Jost poses for a photo after being selected as the number ten overall draft pick by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft at the First Niagra Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /
The Colorado Avalanche made some surprising choices in the 2016 NHL draft. Meet the new team hopefuls
There’s choosing off the board, and then there’s what the Colorado Avalanche did at the 2016 NHL Draft. Already by the third round I had no idea who it was the team was picking.
Actually, their second round pick, Cameron Morrison, was a player I was hoping they’d select in the third round. At least I though he’d make a good selection for the Avalanche.
Some Colorado fans think the team is selecting with advanced stats in mind. As the prospects chosen in the 2016 NHL draft won’t make much of a splash in the NHL for a couple years, if at all, we’ll have to wait to see if that strategy worked out well for the Avalanche.
In any case, GM Joe Sakic and head coach Patrick Roy, who work in conjunction to run the team, have a vision. They’re having to refill the prospect pool while trying to make the current team competitive. Already with their #10 selection of forward Tyson Jost, it’s clear they’re using the 2016 NHL draft for the former.
In any case, let’s get to know the later round picks for the Colorado Avalanche and how they can fit with the team’s vision.
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.
Probability for Success: 3-4 years development, backup/call up
Unfortunately for the Colorado Avalanche, the best goalies at the draft went earlier — which shouldn’t be a surprise since they waited until the fifth round to draft a goalie at all.
When they did, though, they got a tall, rangey goalie out of Sweden, Adam Werner. The 19-year-old goalie went undrafted in 2015, but he had a solid year with the SuperElit Junior team in Sweden, recording a .916 save percentage in 30 games.
Now that the Avalanche have traded backup goalie Reto Berra to the Florida Panthers, while prospects Sami Aittokallio and Roman Will have committed to playing in Europe, Colorado needed to replenish its goalie depth. It’s highly likely the team will leave Werner to develop in Sweden, though he may be invited to goalie coach Francois Allaire’s annual goalie camp.
Eventually Adam Werner may get a spot on the AHL affiliate San Antonio Rampage. He’ll probably serve as a call-up for the Colorado Avalanche.
Here’s Adam Werner in action during an important game:
Next: Nathan Clurman
Nathan Clurman
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Right
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 198 pounds
Current Team: Prince George Cougars, WHL
Draft Selection: #161, 6th round
Probability for Success: Prospect
As I predicted, the Colorado Avalanche couldn’t help selecting a second defenseman — they’re like the opposite of the Edmonton Oilers when it comes to that, which is good for our team.
The Avalanche chose a native Coloradan, Nathan Clurman, who was born in Boulder. As a fellow native, I like that. However, Clurman has spent the last three years in Indiana playing for the prestigious Culver Military Academy. Just like Cameron Morrison, Clurman is headed to Notre Dame eventually to play hockey. However, he was drafted in the USHL, so he’ll be with the Tri-City Storm next year.
Nathan Clurman is another defensive depth pickup for the Colorado Avalanche. Whether or not he earns an entry-level contract probably depends mostly on how he does in Tri-City next year — I imagine Avs scouts are going to be paying close attention to those games.
However, this pick shows Colorado is looking to shake up their depth a little. They’re not going for the biggest guys. And while in the past they’ve eschewed NCAA players, that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.
Probability for Success: Eventual depth forward/call up
The Colorado Avalanche waited until the final round, but they finally got their steal of the draft — left wing Travis Barron. The 17-year old was scouted much higher than a lot of the earlier selections Colorado made.
Barron is another relatively compact skater, a two-way forward with solid defensive skills. That’s probably what attracted the Colorado Avalanche to this pick — they like their forwards to be responsible on defense.
Barron played a multi-faceted game at the lower levels, and he’s working to find that in the OHL. He’s a great skater with possibilities for playmaking skills. He’s got a really good shot.
Travis Barron has some work ahead of him, and he’s sure to be mostly an AHL player for a while once he gets his entry-level contract. However, he could provide the Colorado Avalanche with eventual depth at the bottom six and maybe a little help on the second penalty kill unit.
Frankly Barron has a better chance of eventually making the team than some of the earlier choices, which is why I call him a steal.
Here are some highlights from last season with the 67s:
Next: Overall Evaluation
Jun 24, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Tyson Jost shakes hands with Joe Sakic after being selected as the number ten overall draft pick by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft at the First Niagra Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /
It was easier to get a handle on last year’s selections for the Colorado Avalanche. They were definitely targeting big, powerful players.
This year, Colorado seemed all over the board. They chose some players clearly headed for the NCAA. Except for their goalie, not a single pick was over 6-foot-2. However, a lot of them are compact.
Speed seems to be a focus this year, as is leadership. Maybe the Colorado Avalanche feel they’re already big enough after last year’s picks. Indeed, if you think about it, they started by drafting a big frame last year, and this year they’re filling it in with some compact, skill players.
If you look more closely at their selections, you see that, while none are spectacular, none are particularly shaky either. We don’t have a Duncan Siemens, Joey Hishon or Connor Bleackley in the lot.
There are definitely some players I wish they’d chosen, especially Logan Brown in the first round. And I think there are definitely a couple picks at least who won’t ever get offered an entry-level contract. Overall, though, the newest prospects for the Colorado Avalanche seem like they can offer some much-needed depth.
