There was no defying the odds by the Avalanche or any other team that had a shot Tuesday night at the No. 1 pick of the 2009 NHL draft. The Avs finished third-to-last overall and will pick third in the first round of the June 26 draft in Montreal.
The last-place New York Islanders won the draft lottery and will keep the first pick, and 29th-place Tampa Bay will pick second.
While the first pick — and the chance to take major-junior phenom forward John Tavares — would have been nice, Avalanche vice president of hockey operations Craig Billington said there will still be a very nice player available at No. 3.
“This is a very strong draft, and I know our hockey staff feels there is going to be an elite player available,” said Billington, who sat in a New York TV studio while NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly opened the third-pick envelope. “It’s something that we need as a franchise, and I think for the fans and the community that are used to seeing a high-quality caliber hockey player, that’s what we’re going to end up with.”
If the name Matt Duchene is not familiar to Avs fans now, it might be in the near future. Duchene, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound center with the Brampton Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League, is ranked on most scouts’ list as the consensus third pick, behind Tavares and Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman.
NHL teams are not allowed to talk about undrafted players, but here’s what the NHL’s Central Scouting service said about Duchene: “Has great hands and possesses one of the best shots in the OHL. . . . A pure high-level sniper. . . . Among the best skaters in the draft. . . . Has game-breaker written all over him.”
With the retirement of captain Joe Sakic a real possibility, the Avs might need immediate help at center. Duchene has a chance to step right into the NHL next season. He’ll probably have to fill out more and he is only 18, but the native of Haliburton, Ontario, is considered a blue-chip prospect. He posted 31 goals and 48 assists in 57 games for Brampton.
Billington said the Avs will take a closer look at the top prospects at the NHL scouting combine May 25-30 in Toronto. Teams can interview players and record their performances on various physical drills.
The Avs are without a general manager, having dismissed Francois Giguere on Monday. Coach Tony Granato’s job is safe at least until a GM is named.
Billington, a strong candidate for the GM job and speaking Tuesday on behalf of the organization, indicated the team will not trade the pick — but didn’t rule anything out.
“The one thing I’ve learned in the game of hockey is you keep your options open, and it’s a smart thing to do,” Billington said. “Having said that, the opportunity for us to go in there and draft an elite hockey player is extremely appealing for our franchise. We’ll let that process unfold in the next couple of months.
“Organizationally, I think it’s about adding that special piece in the process, and what position that guy ends up playing, I can’t speak of, but there will be elite players at all positions available in that spot.”
Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com
NHL top three choices
The Avs landed the rights to the third choice in the June NHL entry draft. Below are the top three picks since 2000:
2000
1. Islanders, Rick DiPietro, G
2. Atlanta, Dany Heatley, RW
3. Minn., Marian Gaborik, RW
2001
1. Atlanta, Ilya Kovalchuk, LW
2. Ottawa, Jason Spezza, C
3. Tampa Bay, Alexander Svitov, C
2002
1. Columbus, Rick Nash, LW
2. Atlanta, Kari Lehtonen, G
3. Florida, Jay Bouwmeester, D
2003
1. Pittsburgh, Marc-Andre Fleury, G
2. Carolina, Eric Staal, C
3. Ottawa, Nathan Horton, C
2004
1. Washington, Alex Ovechkin, LW
2. Pittsburgh, Evgeni Malkin, C
3. Chicago, Cam Barker, D
2005
1. Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby, C
2. Anaheim, Bobby Ryan, RW
3. Carolina, Jack Johnson, D
2006
1. St. Louis, Erik Johnson, D
2. Pittsburgh, Jordan Staal, C
3. Chicago, Jonathan Toews, C
2007
1. Chicago, Patrick Kane, RW
2. Phila., James van Riemsdyk, LW
3. Phoenix, Kyle Turris, C
2008
1. Tampa Bay, Steven Stamkos, C
2. Los Angeles, Drew Doughty, D
3. Atlanta, Zach Bogosian, D
NHL draft order
First round, June 26-27, at Montreal:
1. New York Islanders
2. Tampa Bay Lightning
3. Colorado Avalanche
4. Atlanta Thrashers
5. Los Angeles Kings
6. Phoenix Coyotes
7. Toronto Maple Leafs
8. Dallas Stars
9. Ottawa Senators
10. Edmonton Oilers
11. Nashville Predators
12. Minnesota Wild
13. Buffalo Sabres
14. Florida Panthers
The remaining drafting positions will be determined at the conclusion of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
