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Colorado Avalanche Win the Fourth Pick in the 2017 Draft

By Nadia Archuleta

Jun 24, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; A general view of the main concourse as hockey fans arrive before the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft at the First Niagra Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; A general view of the main concourse as hockey fans arrive before the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft at the First Niagra Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Colorado Avalanche will have the  fourth pick in the 2017 NHL Draft as a result of the draft lottery.

The Colorado Avalanche have won the fourth pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. The draft lottery took place at 6 pm MDT.

The Colorado Avalanche finished with the worst record in the NHL, 22-56-4, which gave them 48 points. That record meant they had a 17.936% chance of winning the first-overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.

The NHL Draft Lottery is a weighted system for the 14 teams that did not qualify for the playoffs. This year, it also included the expansion team, the Las Vegas Golden Knights, who were weighted the same as the team with the third-worst record, the Arizona Coyotes.

In previous rules, from 1995, teams could not move up more than four positions. That changed in 2013. In the new system, teams are assigned four-number sequences that determine the first three picks in the NHL Draft.

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The team with the worst record usually has a 20% chance of winning the first-overall. However, the inclusion of the Golden Knights changes the percentages. Either way, the draft lottery is supposed to be a failsafe against teams tanking just to get a high draft pick.

The 2017 NHL Draft prospect pool has been deemed to be less rich than the last couple years. The 2015 and 2016 draft saw franchise players in Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews.

While there has been some speculation about who the true first-overall pick is, Nolan Patrick is the highest-ranked prospect by most scouting reports, including Central Scouting.

Patrick has really good size for the NHL — 6-foot-200 pounds. He’s a power forward with speed and soft hands. He’s also a juggernaut on the ice with or without the puck.

The understood #2 pick is Swiss-born Nico Hischier. More of a finesse player, Hischier is considered more quick than fast, meaning he’s an agile skater. He has great playmaking ability with excellent stick skills.

While #3 isn’t a given, Gabriel Villardi has made a good case to go in that slot. He also has ideal size for the NHL — 6-foot-3, 201 pounds. He’s especially known for driving possession and making his teammates better.

Beyond the top-three prospects, it’s all about what teams need. Top prospects include Casey Mittelstadt, Owen Tippett, Timothy Liljegren and Eeli Tolvanen.

More from Mile High Sticking on Top Prospects:

Next: Avs Could Trade 1st-Overall to Arizona

The 2017 NHL Draft takes place on June 23-24 at the United Center in Chicago.

In addition to the fourth pick, the Colorado Avalanche have one second round pick, two fourth round picks, a fifth rounder, sixth rounder and seventh rounder.

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