The Avalanche finished third-to-last in the NHL this season, and ended up winning the third overall pick tonight in the league’s draft lottery selection in Toronto.
While upsets can happen in the ping-pong selection, the bottom five teams in the league record-wise this season ended up getting the pick in the order they finished. The Avs had a 14.2 percent chance at getting the No. 1 pick, but came away with third.
The New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning won the first and second picks.
The Avs could have gotten only the first, third or fourth picks, so to get the third spot can be seen as something of a victory. With London Knights star John Tavares widely expected to be picked first overall and Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman likely to go second, the Avs still will have a fine player to choose from at No. 3.
The early favorite for the third pick — based on scouting projections — is Matt Duchene, a center with the Brampton Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League. Duchene, 5-11, 190 pounds, put up 79 points in 57 games for Brampton this season.
With the possible retirement of captain Joe Sakic looming, the Avs could well be in the market for a center, and Duchene is rated a good enough player that he might have been the first pick in some other year.
Vancouver Giants forward Evander Kane is the consensus fourth pick.
The Avs will make their first-round selection June 26 in Montreal.
Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com
