The Colorado Avalanche don’t have a wealth of high-end prospects. But if there’s one who might have just changed his outlook, it’s Beckett Hamilton.
The Avs used their third-round selection in this year’s draft to take the 18-year-old. And by the looks of things, Colorado made the right call.
And the Avs could make everyone else who passed on him look silly after his performance at this weekend’s rookie tournament.
Hamilton had a strong weekend, notching a goal and an assist in the 7-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks squad. He followed that up by scoring the only marker in the shootout against the Vegas Golden Knights.
As Mile High Hockey noted, there’s plenty of reason to be bullish on Hamilton.
“It’s hard not to get excited for Beckett Hamilton who was able to show off his talents in this setting. He had looked good in camps prior to the showcase and turned it up a notch in these games.”
With that sort of review, it may just be that the Avalanche have themselves a solid NHL-caliber forward. That’s crucial as the organization will need to eventually replenish the some of the main roster positions in the coming years.
Since Hamilton is only 18, it may still be a while before he can impact the NHL. Considering his numbers in the WHL last season, Hamilton might just be a solid prospect who should have gone earlier in the draft.
There is a catch to Beckett Hamilton’s game
If there is a downside to consider in Hamilton’s game, it’s his relative lack of size. At the moment, he’s listed at 5’11” and 170 pounds. That’s not exactly minuscule, but he could use some more bulk. That’s crucial when playing full-time in the NHL. Bigger defenders imply a need for more strength on the puck.
As Mile High Hockey described it, Hamilton needs to get stronger on the puck. But that seems to be a bit of minor issue considering his overall talent and skill set.
“He’s still only 18-years-old and needs to get stronger on the puck but he has all the attributes of a NHL forward including a shot mentality to go along with a heavy shot but also great vision and playmaking ability, defensive aptitude and high hockey IQ.”
It may just be that the Avalanche have the sort of player who could eventually fill a middle-six role. Perhaps he might even be a third-line center of the future for Colorado.
At this point, Hamilton could return for one more season in the WHL. One more year lighting up the league should bode well for the Huntersville, North Carolina, native. Perhaps he may switch over to the NCAA for more seasoning at some point.
But make no mistake, Hamilton will be in the mix for a full-time job with the Avalanche at some point. The only problem will be having to wait a few more seasons.
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