DENVER—Gabriel Landeskog grew up idolizing Peter Forsberg and the Colorado Avalanche. Now he has a chance to forge his own legacy with his Swedish countryman’s former team.
Colorado took the 18-year-old forward with the second overall pick in the NHL draft Friday night. With their second pick the Avalanche selected defenseman 17-year-old Duncan Siemens at No. 11.
The Avalanche didn’t tip their hand on who they would pick, saying they liked four or five guys at No. 2, but jumped on Landeskog after Edmonton took Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with the first pick.
“He plays with character, he competes, he has tremendous skill and he plays at a high intensity level,” Avalanche director of scouting Rick Pracey said. “He is a physical player who initiates the contact and sticks up for his teammates. There is a lot to like about his overall game.”
The Avalanche are trying to return to the elite of the NHL and hope these two young players can help add to the foundation to get back to that level. Colorado has missed the playoffs three of the past five seasons after reaching the conference finals six times and winning two Stanley Cups in its first seven season in Denver.
Forsberg was a big part of those successful teams, and Landeskog was a fan as he grew up in Stockholm, Sweden.
“I remember having Peter Forsberg up on my wall when I was a little kid and I also had the 2001 Stanley Cup winning team’s poster up in my room,” Landeskog said. “That’s my goal, to be in that picture one day and to be there with the Colorado Avalanche.”
“My goal is to make the team in the fall in training camp,” he said. “If I was to sit here and say anything else, I’d be lying. I’ve got things to work on during the summer, but when it comes to training camp it’s up to me show the management and the coaching staff I’m there to stay. When I’m there it’s up to me.”
Landeskog played in the Swedish Elite League when he was 16 before moving to North America to play for the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League. He said the move to Canada helped his growth
“I can’t put it to words how important it was to my development, on and off the ice,” he said. “Moving away from home at 16 was tough, but I learned a lot. I’m really happy I did the move.”
Despite his age, Landeskog has a chance to be on the Avalanche roster when they open the season against the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 8.
Two years ago the Avalanche took center Matt Duchene with the third overall pick and the then 18 year old made the team a few months later. So did their second-round pick, Ryan O’Reilly, who was also 18.
Landeskog can follow their path but Siemens is likely a few years away from playing in the NHL.
“He’s a very young 17 year old. He needs to add some upper body strength,” Pracey said. “Being a defenseman, it’s a tougher adjustment for young players, but the qualities are there that expedites the process.
“He moves extremely well for a big guy. He sticks up for his teammates and makes things unpleasant in the defensive zone. He’s a top-four defenseman.”
Siemens agreed he needs more seasoning and will probably return to the Western Hockey League. The big defenseman out of Sherwood Park, Alberta, had five goals, 38 assists and 121 penalty minutes in 72 games for Saskatoon.
“I see myself realistically in Saskatoon for another year,” he said. “I don’t have the best hands and handling the puck is something I need to work on.”
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AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell in St. Paul, Minn., contributed to this report.
