Selecting the right player, especially in the first round, is always a challenge. This is definitely where teams can’t afford to make a mistake.
The Avalanche have done pretty well in this area lately, though it probably helps that they’ve had a top 10 pick in four of the past five NHL drafts.
The Avalanche have the No. 25 pick in the first round Tuesday, so will have quite a wait before their name is called.
They have one pick each in rounds three through seven on Wednesday, having traded the second-round selection to acquire Andre Burakovsky from Washington on June 28, 2019.
Those picks: third round (No. 75), fourth (No. 118), fifth (No. 149), sixth (No. 167) and seventh (No. 211).
It’s possible the Avalanche could trade the No. 25 pick as part of a larger transaction, so we’ll have to wait and see about that.
There's been plenty of speculation about acquiring a goalie through a trade or free agency (which begins Friday), though general manager Joe Sakic earlier said he's happy with Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz. Preparing for this draft has been more of a challenge for Alan Hepple, the Avalanche’s director of amateur scouting, and his staff because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
They weren’t able to watch games live when sporting events were shut down in March, leaving them to watch video and communicate via Zoom.
“We dealt with the hand we were dealt and we just dealt with it,… Hepple said. “We figured it out. My guys have always been good about getting information and background stuff. That was always going to be there, and we interviewed every kid over a video call.…
The Avalanche have used a best-player-available philosophy since Sakic took over as executive vice president/GM and will continue it this week.
They’ve definitely hit some first-round home runs since then with Nathan MacKinnon (No. 1, 2013), Mikko Rantanen (No. 10, 2015), and Cale Makar (No. 4, 2017).
The book remains out on Tyson Jost (No. 10, 2016) and Martin Kaut (No. 16, 2018). Jost has yet to show he was worth such a high pick and Kaut is coming off his second season with the AHL Eagles; limited to 34 games this year because of injuries, Kaut had five goals and 13 assists.
Last year’s picks, Bowen Byram (No. 4) and Alex Newhook (No. 16) look like studs.
Byram, who turned 19 in June, has amassed 123 points (40 goals, 83 assists) in 117 games the past two seasons with Vancouver of the Western Hockey League.
Newhook, also 19, was named the NCAA Freshman of the Year after he had 42 points (19 goals, 23 assists) in 34 games at Boston College. “It’s always fun to see the positivity,… Hepple said. “I always say it’s tough picking from the top, it’s not easy. You have to pick the right guy, whether it’s Cale Makar, whether it’s Bo Byram. We had to make a decision on Bo Byram and we made the right decision. Even (with) Alex Newhook, we made the right decision.
“It’s good to see. I want to see (every draft pick) play, and I realize that’s a crazy dream, but it’s rewarding. It makes you feel good. It makes the job a little easier sometimes.…
The first round will be televised by NBC Sports in the U.S., and by Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada. The NHL Network and Sportsnet will cover the second day starting at 9:30 a.m. MT.