Comments on: Revisiting Recent Avalanche Drafts; What They Got Right…And Very Wrong

By: Joe Cerwinske

Joe Cerwinske — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 20:43:57 +0000

I’ve done a breakdown of that 2014 draft, and it wasn’t just the first round they missed bad on. In addition to Pastranak, they could have had an assortment of solid players, including a Vezina winner in Igor Shesterkin, and Devon Toews without having to trade for him (though we did get him for peanuts). Just an absolute travesty of a draft, with only one player logging any NHL ice time. Luckily, that year was surrounded by the 2013 draft where the Avs got some guy named MacKinnon, and the 2015 draft with Rantanen.

By: Mark Messier

Mark Messier — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 19:22:15 +0000

Nice work Evan. Funny how soon we forget. Check the typo on Kaut in second paragraph. Where is Kaut now?

By: Ari Sachter-Smith

Ari Sachter-Smith — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 19:20:40 +0000

The Avs allowed Altitude to tape pre draft scout meetings in 2011 & 2016 that were fascinating to watch. 2011 most of the discussion was around if they would pick Couturier or Hamilton if they dropped to 11 due the injury concerns around him at the time, they seemed pretty set on drafting Landeskog given that EDM let to taking RNH. 2016 was interesting because there was such a large range of players discussed and the least of which was Jost. A lot of talk was around how Chychrun’s mental lapses would result in a goal against per game with one scout pounding the table to not take him in the top 10. Yes that would have been a better pick than Joey but agree that he should have taken the Makar route and stayed 2 years in college. The Bleakley pick may have also scared them off, Alan Hepple (head scout) said that pick cost people jobs so they couldn’t afford to miss that bad again.

By: Rick

Rick — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 18:08:12 +0000

Great article. Not only was Makar an all time great pick but the Avs were pretty much forced to take him. If they had the third I’m pretty sure they would have taken Heiskanen and if they had stayed at #1 they almost certainly would have taken Hischier – although Bob McKenzie claimed that at least one team had Cale at the top of their draft board and his ranking moved way up the last couple weeks before that draft. But every time you think the Avs have bad luck just remember that they lost all 3 lotteries that year and were forced to take Cale Makar.

I have looked back at that 2015 draft in Hockey Reference quite a few times and whether I sort it by Goals, Points or even Point Shares I feel pretty damned good about it.