The Avalanche announced Saturday afternoon that they've traded defenseman
Nick Holden to the New York Rangers for a 2017 fourth-round draft pick.
Holden, 28, had five goals and 16 assists in 82 games this past season when he was paired with
Tyson Barrie most of the time. He has two years left on his contract at $1.65 million per.
I think it's a good deal for the Avalanche, who have cleared some salary cap space and opened the door for a trade or to sign a defenseman once free agency begins July 1.
"I think Holden is a guy that has gotten better every year in the league," Rangers general manager
Jeff Gorton told
NHL.com. "I think he's a pretty well-rounded guy. He can kill penalties. He can play both sides, real responsible. He can skate. I think he's good depth. We'll see where he fits in, but our guys are pretty excited to get him and we'll see where it goes."
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I spoke with
Alan Hepple, the Avalanche's director of amateur scouting, following the NHL draft, which ended Saturday.
It definitely was a "futures" draft for the Avalanche, so all six players selected will either be heading to college, to the United States Hockey League, or returning to their respective teams.
"We filled out our depth chart," Hepple said after the Avalanche drafted a center, two left wings, two defensemen and a goalie.
Here's Hepple on Friday's first-round pick (No. 10), center
Tyson Jost, who is heading to North Dakota University after posting 42 goals and 62 assists in 48 games for the Penticton Vees in the British Columbia Hockey League.
"He was one of the guys we targeted," Hepple said. "We were holding our breath Friday night, we weren't sure if he would get to us. He's a
Joe Sakic fan. When his grandfather met Joe (Friday) night, the grandfather told him that when Tyson was growing up he had to be like Joe -- skate like Joe, shoot like Joe and release like him. Maybe there is something in that.
"I think this kid, as good as he is as a hockey player, he's twice as good as a person. They have a tight-knit family and his mom has done a great job with him. He played in the playoffs with a banged-up shoulder, a broken finger and a banged-up ankle. The coaches didn't even know about it for a long time. That's just the kind of kid that he is. He wants to win, he wants to be that guy with the puck on his stick at the end of the game. He's a special kid."
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One day after tabbing Jost, the Avalanche on Saturday selected power forward
Cameron Morrison with their second-round pick (No. 40).
Morrison, 17, is a 6-3, 209-pound left wing who had 34 goals, 32 assists and 42 penalty minutes in 60 games for the Youngstown Phantoms in the United States Hockey League. He's from Aurora, Ontario, and will attend the University of Notre Dame in the fall.
"It's an honor to be drafted to the NHL by an organization like that," Morrison said in an interview with the
NHL Network. "It's just a true honor, amazing. It's just awesome."
Morrison said of his playing style: "Big power forward, like to get to the net, score some goals from around there. I need to work on my explosiveness, I work on that every day."
Hepple: "Big, good-sized winger ... has scored at every level, scored at levels where we don't usually see young kids score at."
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Third round (No. 71)
Defenseman
Josh Anderson (6-3, 210), 17, from Nanaimo, British Columbia. 1-5-6, 86 PIM in 39 games with Prince George in the Western Hockey League.
Anderson missed the second half of the season to recover from a cracked vertebra he sustained when he fell into the boards.
Hepple: "He's OK, we had him checked out by our trainers and doctors. It was a broken bone in his back, which is all healed. He might be a little bit behind as far as workouts and things like that and physical conditioning, but he's fine.
"Big, stay at home, mobile defenseman ... has some toughness in his game ... doesn't play an easy game, makes it tough on the opposition."
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The Avalanche didn't have a fourth-round pick, having traded it (with minor league forward
Colin Smith) in February to Toronto for
Shawn Matthias, who will be an unrestricted free agent July 1.
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Fifth round (No. 131)
Goalie
Adam Werner (6-5, 198), 19, from Mariestad, Sweden; 2.49 goals-against average, .916 save percentage in 30 games for Under-20 Farjestad Jr. in Sweden.
Werner was the 12th goalie taken in the draft. The Avalanche wanted to take a goalie after trading
Reto Berra on Thursday.
Hepple: "They're bringing Werner over in the summer for the U.S., Canada and the Finns ... there's a possibility he could play in the World Juniors for Sweden ... big, athletic, moves well."
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Sixth round (No. 161)
Defenseman
Nathan Clurman (6-2, 190), 18, from Boulder, Colorado. 4-12-16 and 29 PIM in 20 games with the Culver Military Academy Prep School, same school that former Avalanche defenseman
John-Michael Liles attended. 1-5-6 in five playoff games.
Clurman, 18, is committed to Notre Dame but Hepple said he could return to Culver or play in the USHL before going to college the following year.
Hepple: "Good skater, puck mover ... might be a little more long term ... not sure if he's going to play in the USHL or go back to prep school, which is fine, then go to Notre Dame the next year ... has some upside."
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Seventh round (No. 191)
Left wing
Travis Barron (6-1, 195), 17, from Brampton, Ontario. 13-24-37 in 60 games for Ottawa in the Ontario Hockey League; 2-4-6 in five playoff games.
Hepple: "I was surprised he was still there ... up-and-down winger ... plays hard, big guy who goes to the hard areas."
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Former Avalanche first-round pick
Conner Bleackley went to St. Louis in the fifth round (No. 144). Colorado traded his rights to Arizona in the
Mikkel Boedker transaction; the Coyotes elected not to sign him.
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Avalanche general manager
Joe Sakic told the
Denver Post that he's presented a contract proposal to agent
Don Meehan, who represents defenseman
Tyson Barrie.
“We presented a long-term proposal, and we’ll see where that goes,” Sakic said. “If not anywhere, he’s going to go to arbitration.”
Barrie, 24, had 13 goals and 36 assists in 78 games this past season. He will be a restricted free agent July 1.
Sakic said he'll also "sit down and try and do a long-term deal" with
Nathan MacKinnon. "Long or short term,” he added.
MacKinnon, 20, also will be a restricted free agent July 1. He had 21 goals and 31 assists in 72 games. The 2013-14 Calder Trophy winner has 59 goals and 94 assists in 218 games over three NHL seasons.
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