The Avalanche is scheduled to select 10th in the first round of the NHL draft Friday night in Buffalo, N.Y., and the goal is to have a repeat of 2015, when Colorado eagerly pounced on Finnish right winger Mikko Rantanen in the same slot.
“We always seem to get some surprises in the top 10 — just like we did last year that allowed us to get Rantanen — and I don’t see anything different this year thatap going to stop us to get a good player at 10,” Alan Hepple, the Avs’ second-year director of amateur scouting, said recently.
Possibilities among forwards at No. 10 generally are Alexander Nylander and Michael McLeod (both of the Mississauga Steelheads), Tyson Jost (Penticton Vees), Clayton Keller (U.S. National Team Development Program and committed to Boston University), Max Jones (London Knights) and Logan Brown (Windsor Spitfires).
On defense, those possibly still on the board for Colorado’s pick include Finn Olli Juolevi (London), Russian Mikhail Sergachev (Windsor) and Canadian/American dual citizen Jakob Chychrun (Sarnia Sting).
“I don’t think there’s any goalie that would be in that top 10,” Hepple said. “Somebody could prove me wrong, but I don’t think so.”
Said Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic: “We think we’re going to get a good player at 10, and we’re going to go with the best player on our list. This year itap forward-heavy.”
After the first round Friday night, the rest of the seven-round draft is scheduled Saturday at the First Niagara Center. Colorado’s other picks are scheduled to be at Nos. 40, 71, 131, 161 and 191. Colorado gave up its fourth-round pick for winger Shawn Matthias in March.
The most likely possibilities to be drafted from the University of Denver program are incoming forward Henrik Borgstrom and sophomore-to-be center Dylan Gambrell. Other Pioneers who might be taken are sophomore defenseman Blake Hillman, plus three incoming freshmen — Erich Fear, CJ Dodero and Kohen Olischefski.
