The Colorado Avalanche Quarter-Century Team: Draft Bust Edition

In honor of the NHL announcing the Colorado Avalanche's Quarter-Century First and Second teams, here's a full lineup dedicated to a specific kind of Avalanche player from the last 25 years: those who were drafted by the Avs but never made an impact on the team

A few notes and stipulations before proceeding:
1. This list will include players who were drafted by the Avalanche but either never developed or underperformed
2. No picks from the last five NHL Entry Drafts. Some players take longer to develop than others
3. This list is in no way meant to poke fun at or mock any of these players. To even be on a list like this, one has to be one of the best hockey players in the world, as they are professional athletes
4. The rankings are based on hype + draft pick number (the higher the pick, the more expectation) + overall impact on the Avs, if any
5. First and Second Teams often ignore a player's position, choosing to focus solely on "forward" "defenseman" and "goalie," but this lineup aims to correctly list players for each position who primarily played said position

Forwards

First Line: Cameron Morrison, Václav Nedorost, Jonas Johansson

Cameron Morrison
Drafted: Round 2, 40th overall | 2016 NHL Entry Draft
Highest Level: AHL
Avalanche Impact: N/A

Morrison has never cracked an NHL roster, despite spending time in four different NHL organizations (Colorado, San Jose, Chicago, Florida). He has spent the last two season in the ECHL, and he has put up respectable numbers for that level, but not for a 40th overall pick.

Notable players selected after him: Samuel Girard (Predators, 47th), Ryan Lindgren (Bruins, 49th), Filip Hronek (Red Wings, 53rd), Filip Gustavsson (Penguins, 55th), Joseph Woll (Maple Leafs, 62nd), Adam Fox (Flames, 66th), Josh Mahura (Ducks, 85th), Ross Colton (Lightning, 118th), Brandon Hagel (Sabres, 159th)

Václav Nedorost
Drafted: Round 1, 14th overall | 2000 NHL Entry Draft
Highest Level: NHL
Avalanche Impact: 2001-02 - 2002-03 | 67GP, 6G, 7A, 13P

The Avalanche drafted Nedorost with the hopes of inserting him into a dominant team in the midst of their prime competitive years, but this wasn't meant to be. After struggling to insert himself at the NHL level, Nedorost would return to Europe at the end of the 2003-04 season. He retired from professional hockey in 2019.

Notable players selected after him: Brooks Orpik (Penguins, 18th), Brad Boyes (Maple Leafs, 24th), Justin Williams (Flyers, 28th), Niklas Kronwall (Red Wings, 29th), Jarret Stoll (Flames, 46th), Antoine Vermette (Senators, 55th), Paul Martin (Devils, 62nd), Ľubomír Višňovský
(Kings, 118th), Travis Moen (Flames, 155th), John-Michael Liles (Avalanche, 159th), Henrik Lundqvist (Rangers, 205th)

Jonas Johansson
Drafted: Round 1, 28th overall | 2002 NHL Entry Draft
Highest Level: NHL
Avalanche Impact: N/A

Not to be confused with the NHL goaltender of the same name (who actually dressed for the Avalanche), Johansson was traded, alongside Bates Battaglia, to the Washington Capitals on October 23, 2003. The Avs received Steve Konowalchuk and a third-round pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft in the trade. So, while his impact on the Avalanche is understandably null, he would only play one game for the Capitals before spending the next decade playing in multiple different European leagues.

Notable players selected after him: Jarret Stoll (Oilers, 36th), Trevor Daley (Stars, 43rd), Duncan Keith (Blackhawks, 54th), Matt Stajan (Maple Leafs, 57th), Jiří Hudler (Red Wings, 58th), Johnny Boychuk (Avalanche, 61st), Tomáš Fleischmann (Red Wings, 63rd), Frans Nielsen (Islanders, 87th), Valtteri Filppula (Red Wings, 95th), James Wisniewski (Blackhawks, 156th), Max Talbot (Penguins, 234th), Dennis Wideman (Sabres, 241st), Jonathan Ericsson (Red Wings, 291st)

Second Line: Sampo Ranta, Joey Hishon, Martin Kaut

Sampo Ranta
Drafted: Round 3, 78th overall | 2018 NHL Entry Draft
Highest Level: NHL
Avalanche Impact: 2021-22 - 2022-23 | 16GP, 0G, 0A, 0P

While Ranta wasn't drafted as high as many of the other players in this lineup, he still makes the second line because of the opportunity he had to make the Avs roster and make an impact. Heading into the 2022-23 season, Ranta was a fringe player; many pundits predicted him to have a breakout year, even listing Ranta as a comparable to Alex Newhook. Shortly after the 2022-23 season --- most of it spent on the Colorado Eagles --- Ranta signed with MODO Hockey Örnsköldsvik, where he now plays.

Notable players selected after him: Lukáš Dostál
(Ducks, 85th), Connor Dewar (Wild, 92nd), Martin Pospisil (Flames, 105th), Paul Cotter (Golden Knights, 115th), Philipp Kurashev (Blackhawks, 120th), Yegor Sharangovich (Devils, 141st), Pontus Holmberg (Maple Leafs, 156th), Michael Kesselring (Oilers, 164th), Cole Koepke (Lightning, 183rd)

Joey Hishon
Drafted: Round 1, 17th overall | 2010 NHL Entry Draft
Highest Level: NHL
Avalanche Impact: 2013-14 - 2014-15 | 13GP, 1G, 1A, 2P

Perhaps one of the more infamous busts in Avalanche draft history, Hishon was the first of eight selections the Avs made in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft; apart from Calvin Pickard, whose legacy in Colorado is forgettable, none of the picks had any impact on the franchise. With such a wealth of franchise players and impact-makers drafted after Hishon, it's difficult to look at his selection at 17th overall as anything but disappointing.

Notable players selected after him: Nick Bjugstad (Panthers, 19th), Kevin Hayes (Blackhawks, 24th), Evgeny Kuznetsov (Capitals, 26th), Charlie Coyle (Sharks, 28th), Brock Nelson (Islanders, 30th), Justin Faulk (Hurricanes, 37th), Tyler Toffoli (Kings, 47th), Calle Järnkrok (Red Wings, 51st), Jason Zucker (Wild, 59th), Radko Gudas (Lightning, 66th), Bryan Rust (Penguins, 80th), Joonas Donskoi (Panthers, 99th), Philipp Grubauer (Capitals, 112th), Zach Hyman (Panthers, 123rd), John Klingberg (Stars, 131st), Brendan Gallagher (Canadiens, 147th), Mark Stone (Senators, 178th), Frederik Andersen (Hurricanes, 187th)

Martin Kaut
Drafted: Round 1, 16th overall | 2018 NHL Entry Draft
Highest Level: NHL
Avalanche Impact: 2019-20 - 2022-23 | 47GP, 3G, 3A, 6P

As a 16th overall pick, Kaut was expected to be a difference-maker for a team building up to contention. Despite four seasons where he was given chances on the Avs, however, Kaut struggled to replicate the success he found in both the Czech Extraliga and AHL. After a trade that sent him to San Jose and a decent showing there (five points in nine games), Kaut returned to HC Dynamo Pardubice, the team with which he began his career.

Notable players selected after him: K'Andre Miller (Rangers, 22nd), Rasmus Sandin (Maple Leafs, 29th), Alexander Romanov (Canadiens, 38th), Ryan McLeod (Oilers, 40th), Martin Fehérváry (Capitals, 46th), Kirill Marchenko (Blue Jackets, 49th), Sean Durzi (Maple Leafs, 52nd), Lukáš Dostál (Ducks, 85th), Connor Dewar (Wild, 92nd), Martin Pospisil (Flames, 105th), Paul Cotter (Golden Knights, 115th), Philipp Kurashev (Blackhawks, 120th), Yegor Sharangovich (Devils, 141st), Pontus Holmberg (Maple Leafs, 156th), Michael Kesselring (Oilers, 164th), Cole Koepke (Lightning, 183rd)

Third Line: Mikhail Kuleshov, Conner Bleackley, Victor Oreskovich

Mikhail Kuleshov
Drafted: Round 1, 25th overall | 1999 NHL Entry Draft
Highest Level: NHL
Avalanche Impact: 2003-04 | 3GP, 0G, 0A, 0P

Kuleshov was an interesting pick at the time, as his production in three season playing in Russia wasn't noteworthy. That being said, however, the 1999 NHL Entry Draft is largely considered one of the worst drafts in NHL history, so there wasn't much talent to go around. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he never made an impact on the Avs, but he did have four respectable seasons playing for the Hershey Bears, the then-affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche. He would return to Russia for the 2004-05 season and would retire at the end of that season.

Notable players selected after him: Martin Havlát (Senators, 26th), Jordan Leopold (Mighty Ducks, 44th), Niklas Hagman (Panthers, 70th), Craig Anderson (Flames, 77th), Mike Comrie (Oilers, 91st), Chris Kelly (Senators, 94th), Ryan Malone (Penguins, 115th), Ryan Miller (Sabres, 138th), Martin Erat (Predators, 191st), Henrik Zetterberg (Red Wings, 210th), Radim Vrbata (Avalanche, 212th)

Conner Bleackley
Drafted: Round 1, 23rd overall | 2014 NHL Entry Draft
Highest Level: AHL
Avalanche Impact: N/A

Bleackley was the Avalanche's only selection within the first 83 picks in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, which only adds to how unfortunate it is that he never found his way at the professional level. Although the Avs drafted him in 2014, they elected not to offer him a contract, and his rights were traded, alongside Alex Tanguay and Kyle Wood (more on him later), to the Arizona Coyotes for Mikkel Bødker. Both Arizona and Colorado were worried about Bleackley's injury history and its impact on his ability to play at the level he has in juniors, forcing him to re-enter the NHL Entry Draft in 2016. He was then selected 144th overall by the St. Louis Blues, but struggles at the AHL and ECHL levels saw his career taper off in the ensuing few years.

Notable players selected after him: Jared McCann (Canucks, 24th), David Pastrňák (Bruins, 25th), Adrian Kempe (Kings, 29th), Ivan Barbashev (Blues, 33rd), Thatcher Demko (Canucks, 36th), Marcus Pettersson (Ducks, 38th), Brandon Montour (Ducks, 55th), Ryan Donato (Bruins, 56th), Christian Dvorak (Canadiens, 58th), Warren Foegele (Hurricanes, 67th), Ilya Sorokin (Islanders, 78th), Brayden Point (Lightning, 79th), Devon Toews (Islanders, 108th), Viktor Arvidsson (Predators, 112th), Michael Bunting (Coyotes, 117th), Igor Shesterkin (Rangers, 118th), Gustav Forsling (Canucks, 126th), Kevin Labanc (Sharks, 171st), Victor Olofsson (Sabres, 181st)

Victor Oreskovich
Drafted: Round 2, 55th overall | 2004 NHL Entry Draft
Highest Level: NHL
Avalanche Impact: N/A

Oreskovich was an especially-disappointing draft bust for the Avs; after he was drafted signed to a two-year contract with the team, he was sent down to the then-affiliate Lake Erie Monsters for the 2007-08 season, but he never reported to the team. He was subsequently suspended by the Avs and ultimately spent the ensuing two years apart from hockey altogether, citing "burnout" and a loss of "passion" for the game of hockey. He would, in that time, re-enroll at the college from which he was drafted: Notre Dame. He completed his degree in finance. He apparently missed playing hockey, though, because he spent parts of three seasons (2009-10 - 2011-12) with the Florida Panthers and the Vancouver Canucks, splitting time between their respective AHL franchises at the time, the Rochester Americans and the Manitoba Moose/Chicago Wolves. He would retire again after the 2011-12 season to pursue higher education and a career in banking.

Notable players selected after him: Brandon Dubinsky (Rangers, 60th), Alex Goligoski (Penguins, 61st), David Krejčí (Bruins, 63rd), Andrej Sekera (Sabres, 71st), Alexander Edler (Canucks, 91st), Johan Franzén (Red Wings, 97th), Ryan Callahan (Rangers, 127th), Kris Versteeg (Bruins, 134th), Mikhail Grabovski (Canadiens, 150th), Roman Polák (Blues, 180th), Troy Brouwer (Blackhawks, 214th), Pekka Rinne (Predators, 258th), Mark Streit (Canadiens, 262nd), Jannik Hansen (Canucks, 287th)

Fourth Line: Tom Fritsche, Ryan Stoa, Nick Henry

Tom Fritsche
Drafted: Round 2, 47th overall | 2005 NHL Entry Draft
Highest Level: AHL
Avalanche Impact: N/A

Fritsche was drafted out of Ohio State University after a freshman campaign that saw him record 45 points in 42 games. He would spend the remaining three years there before joining up with the Lake Erie Monsters for the next three seasons (2007-08 - 2009-10) before a single season in the CHL and then an early retirement from hockey.

Notable players selected after him: Kris Letang (Penguins, 62nd), Kris Russell (Blue Jackets, 67th), Jonathan Quick (Kings, 72nd), Keith Yandle (Coyotes, 105th), Niklas Hjalmarsson (Blackhawks, 108th), Darren Helm (Red Wings, 132nd), Anton Strålman (Maple Leafs, 216th), Patric Hörnqvist (Predators, 230th)

Ryan Stoa
Drafted: Round 2, 34th overall | 2005 NHL Entry Draft
Highest Level: NHL
Avalanche Impact: 2009-10 - 2010-11 | 37GP, 4G, 3A, 7P

While Stoa never found his way as an NHLer, he did forge a career for himself overseas. After stints with Colorado and the Washington Capitals, Stoa played for four KHL teams across the 2014-15 - 2018-19 seasons and three SweHL teams from 2019-20 - 2020-21; he has spent the last four years playing for the Nürnberg Ice Tigers of the DEL. Even now, at age 37, he puts up respectable numbers.

Notable players selected after him: Marc-Edouard Vlasic (Sharks, 35th), Paul Stastny (Avalanche, 44th), Kris Letang (Penguins, 62nd), Kris Russell (Blue Jackets, 67th), Jonathan Quick (Kings, 72nd), Keith Yandle (Coyotes, 105th), Niklas Hjalmarsson (Blackhawks, 108th), Darren Helm (Red Wings, 132nd), Anton Strålman (Maple Leafs, 216th), Patric Hörnqvist (Predators, 230th)

Nick Henry
Drafted: Round 4, 94th overall | 2017 NHL Entry Draft
Highest Level: AHL
Avalanche Impact: N/A

Despite being one of the youngest players in this lineup (25-years-old) and once being a highly-touted prospect, Henry's playing career ended after the 2021-22 season, a season that saw him splitting time between the AHL's Colorado Eagles and the ECHL's Utah Grizzlies. He struggled to replicate the laudable numbers (204P in 194G) he put up in the WHL.

Notable players selected after him: Mikey Anderson (Kings, 103rd), Adam Ružička
(Flames, 109th), Jeremy Swayman (Bruins, 111th), Alexei Toropchenko (Blues, 113th), Emil Bemstrom (Blue Jackets, 117th), Drake Batherson (Senators, 121st), Sebastian Aho (Islanders, 139th), Nick Perbix (Lightning, 169th), Morgan Barron (Rangers, 174th), Cayden Primeau (Canadiens, 199th)

Scratches: Denis Parshin, Mitchell Heard

Denis Parshin
Drafted: Round 3, 72nd overall | 2004 NHL Entry Draft
Highest Level: KHL
Avalanche Impact: N/A

Parshin never played a game in North America, electing instead to stay in Russia, where he had a respectable 21-year career across seven different KHL teams and two Slovakian teams before retiring at the end of the 2023-24 season.

Notable players selected after him: Alexander Edler (Canucks, 91st), Johan Franzén (Red Wings, 97th), Ryan Callahan (Rangers, 127th), Kris Versteeg (Bruins, 134th), Mikhail Grabovski (Canadiens, 150th), Roman Polák (Blues, 180th), Troy Brouwer (Blackhawks, 214th), Pekka Rinne (Predators, 258th), Mark Streit (Canadiens, 262nd), Jannik Hansen (Canucks, 287th)

Mitchell Heard
Drafted: Round 2, 41st overall | 2012 NHL Entry Draft
Highest Level: AHL
Avalanche Impact: N/A

Despite making a name for himself for the OHL's Plymouth Whalers as a gritty forward with an offensive touch (144P in 171G), he was primarily utilized as an agitator depth piece and enforcer in his time in both the AHL and ECHL. In fact, during the 2013-14 season with the Lake Erie Monsters, Mitchell's 167PIMs (in 62 games) were fourth-most amongst all AHLers that year. In the decade-plus since then, he has spent time in DEL, EIHL, ECHL, AHL, and the Slovak Extraliga, and he still plays professionally overseas.

Notable players selected after him: Jake McCabe (Sabres, 44th), Colton Sissons (Predators, 50th), Teddy Blueger (Penguins, 52nd), Chris Tierney (Sharks, 55th), Jordan Martinook (Coyotes, 58th), Damon Severson (Devils, 60th), Adam Pelech (Islanders, 65th), Jimmy Vesey (Predators, 66th), Esa Lindell (Stars, 74th), Chandler Stephenson (Capitals, 77th), Shayne Gostisbehere (Flyers, 78th), Matt Grzelcyk (Bruins, 85th), Colton Parayko (Blues, 86th), Frederik Andersen (Ducks, 87th), Erik Gustafsson (Oilers, 93rd), Josh Anderson (Blue Jackets, 95th), Brett Kulak (Flames, 105th), Andreas Athanasiou (Red Wings, 110th), Jaccob Slavin (Hurricanes, 120th), Connor Hellebuyck (Jets, 130th), Alex Kerfoot (Devils, 150th), Connor Brown (Maple Leafs, 156th), Linus Ullmark (Sabres, 163rd)