The Avalanche will have the 14th overall pick in this year’s NHL draft. The Avs were assigned that pick in Tuesday’s draft lottery drawing in New York.
It is the highest the Avs will draft in the first round since 2000, when they acquired the 14th pick in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes that sent defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh to the Hurricanes.
The Avs chose Vaclav Nedorost with the pick, and his career never took off.
The highest the Avs have picked in the first round is 12th, when they selected Alex Tanguay in the 1998 draft. The draft will be held June 22-23 in Columbus, Ohio.
The Chicago Blackhawks won the drawing to gain the first overall pick.
The Blackhawks would have picked fifth had the draft positions been held by simple inverse order of team records this season, but they drew the lucky pingpong ball. The Philadelphia Flyers, the NHL’s worst team this season, will pick second.
* : Adrian Dater answers NHL questions each Wednesday. Also, about the team’s just-completed season and the outlook for the NHL playoffs, which will not include the Avs.
