Colorado Avalanche added depth to organization at 2008 NHL Draft

[HF Article]

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The 2008 Entry Draft saw players such as Steven Stamkos, Erik Karlsson, and Jordan Eberle taken in the opening round. The Colorado Avalanche, however, missed out on the first round of the draft having sent their first round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets as part of the deal that sent Adam Foote back to Denver.



Despite the trade, the team still had seven picks in the draft, though not one prior to the 50th overall pick.

Cameron Gaunce, D, Mississauga St. Michael's Majors (OHL) – 2nd round, 50th overall
Status: Prospect
NHL Games Played: 11

Gaunce, who played his junior hockey for the Mississauga St.… read more



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[member 116861]

Terrible draft.

 

[Foppa2118]

How did they add depth with this draft? Depth, as in they added seven more prospects than they had prior?

 

[Zandar]

What an odd draft to use for an article. One of our worst in years.

 

[henchman21]

Yep one of the worst drafts for this organization in recent memory (2006 is up there and 2010 might be saved by one of the goalies).

Gaunce is likely out of favor with the organization at this point. Barrie and Elliott always being ahead of him (could be that they just want puck movers though), combine that with his dismal season in Lake Erie and you don't have a very good outlook for his future here. While I think there is potential there, I don't think he will ever see it with the Avs.

Olver is a solid pest type player that can play a variety of roles on the team. He is valuable simply because of that flexibility. He will probably continue in that role for the Avs for a few more seasons. Not bad value out of a 5th round pick.

Condon is the only other player that has a chance at the NHL. His chance is only slight though. He is a threat on the PK and has great speed. If he bulks up and gets more physical he could become a 4th line PK specialist sort of player. Probably ~3 years away from that though.

Overall a terrible draft.

 

[CB Joe]

Without a first round pick this draft was abysmal. To think we traded a 1st for Adam Foote. That pick ended up being Sbisa, 19th overall.

Makes you think who the Avs could have ended up with. Interestingly enough Del Zotto was taken 20th overall, one spot after where the Avs could have drafted.

 

[Pokecheque]

Without a first round pick this draft was abysmal. To think we traded a 1st for Adam Foote. That pick ended up being Sbisa, 19th overall.

Makes you think who the Avs could have ended up with. Interestingly enough Del Zotto was taken 20th overall, one spot after where the Avs could have drafted.

Not only that, but the condition on the trade was that if the Avs hadn't made the playoffs or something like that, the Avs would've forfeited their 1st rounder the following season. So yeah, there would've been a possibility that Matt Duchene would've been in Columbus. Yet another reason why Giguere was deservedly fired.

 

[Foppa2118]

Without a first round pick this draft was abysmal. To think we traded a 1st for Adam Foote. That pick ended up being Sbisa, 19th overall.

Makes you think who the Avs could have ended up with. Interestingly enough Del Zotto was taken 20th overall, one spot after where the Avs could have drafted.

Eberle was still on board too, and he fit the Avs prospect mold pretty well.

 

[CB Joe]

Not only that, but the condition on the trade was that if the Avs hadn't made the playoffs or something like that, the Avs would've forfeited their 1st rounder the following season. So yeah, there would've been a possibility that Matt Duchene would've been in Columbus. Yet another reason why Giguere was deservedly fired.

Avs set an NHL record for the highest point total to miss the playoffs. We came that close to losing Duchene.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

Olver is a solid pest type player that can play a variety of roles on the team. He is valuable simply because of that flexibility. He will probably continue in that role for the Avs for a few more seasons. Not bad value out of a 5th round pick.

I may be in the minority but I don't see much of anything in Olver. He's not talented enough to be a top 6 forward, he's terrible at faceoffs so he can't play center, he's not a big guy and is pretty easy to push around, and isn't good defensively nor does he kill penalties, so he doesn't bring much value there. I just don't see this guy being much of anything. He's a 4th liner at best and I'd love to see him replaced by a prototypical 4th line center.

 

[henchman21]

I may be in the minority but I don't see much of anything in Olver. He's not talented enough to be a top 6 forward, he's terrible at faceoffs so he can't play center, he's not a big guy and is pretty easy to push around, and isn't good defensively nor does he kill penalties, so he doesn't bring much value there. I just don't see this guy being much of anything. He's a 4th liner at best and I'd love to see him replaced by a prototypical 4th line center.

IMO His only value is that he can sub around pretty much everywhere from the 2nd - 4th lines (2nd line for only a short amount of time while injuries are rampant) and not look terribly lost (not great either). When the Avs improve to a legit playoff team there will be no more use for Olver as the top and bottom 6 will have to be improved. He might have a couple decent (3rd line sort) seasons on terrible teams a bit later on in his career.

 

[Pokecheque]

I may be in the minority but I don't see much of anything in Olver. He's not talented enough to be a top 6 forward, he's terrible at faceoffs so he can't play center, he's not a big guy and is pretty easy to push around, and isn't good defensively nor does he kill penalties, so he doesn't bring much value there. I just don't see this guy being much of anything. He's a 4th liner at best and I'd love to see him replaced by a prototypical 4th line center.

He fills the requisite pest role adequately enough, but I don't see him evolving into anything more than that. But yeah, I'd like to see him moved to the wing and someone like Malone or Sgarbossa take the 3rd/4th line center role.

 

[S E P H]

I wouldn't consider Holos a bust, more of too many defensemen for too little spots.

 

[Avs_19]

I wouldn't consider Holos a bust, more of too many defensemen for too little spots.

He was terrible.

 

[henchman21]

I wouldn't consider Holos a bust, more of too many defensemen for too little spots.

Since he only gave us 39 games I would. He wouldn't be even playing over the likes of Zanon, SOB, ROB, or Hunwick on this team.

 

[jake07]

this team with the young player developpement is very poor

 

[Nihiliste]

this team with the young player developpement is very poor

The problem with 2008 had nothing to do with development and everything to do with a horrible draft.

Pracey was still a big part of the scouting team at this time was he not? It makes me wonder how much of our great draft in 2009 (O'reilly, Elliott, Barrie, Patterson - excluding Duchene bc lottery pick) was luck. 2010&11 (Hishon, Pickard, Aitokallo, Siemens) are fine but not spectacular outside of the obvious pick of Landeskog. Too soon to say on 2012 but I'm really not a fan of Heard with our 2nd.

 

[henchman21]

this team with the young player developpement is very poor

I'm not sure I follow. The Avs have drafted a high number of players that stuck in the NHL (read more than just a few stints). Most of those were developed by the Avs. 2008 was just a bad year. For every 2008 there is a 2009 that produced Duchene, ROR, Elliott, Barrie, and Millan (who probably won't make it, but goalies take longer so it is too early to tell).

 

[Pokecheque]

I don't think you can call any 6th round pick a bust.

 

[Nalens Oga]

I can't believe we lost our 1st round pick for Foote, what an effin waste. Who was the dumbass GM that agreed to that, Giguere or Sherman? Foote was one of the best defensive dmen to play the game but he was done by around 2008/2009. That pick ended up being Sbisa, even if it was in the 20s we could've landed MDZ/Eberle/Ennis/Carlson.

EDIT: Someone else already mentioned that point I guess. If we were a Canadian team like Cgy, that move would've been ripped to shreds.

 

[Pokecheque]

I can't believe we lost our 1st round pick for Foote, what an effin waste. Who was the dumbass GM that agreed to that, Giguere or Sherman? Foote was one of the best defensive dmen to play the game but he was done by around 2008/2009. That pick ended up being Sbisa, even if it was in the 20s we could've landed MDZ/Eberle/Ennis/Carlson.

EDIT: Someone else already mentioned that point I guess. If we were a Canadian team like Cgy, that move would've been ripped to shreds.

That was Giguere. Sherman would take over a year later.

 

[Zandar]

The problem with 2008 had nothing to do with development and everything to do with a horrible draft.

Pracey was still a big part of the scouting team at this time was he not? It makes me wonder how much of our great draft in 2009 (O'reilly, Elliott, Barrie, Patterson - excluding Duchene bc lottery pick) was luck. 2010&11 (Hishon, Pickard, Aitokallo, Siemens) are fine but not spectacular outside of the obvious pick of Landeskog. Too soon to say on 2012 but I'm really not a fan of Heard with our 2nd.

They changed their draft approach considerably between 2008 and 2009. 2008 was already a bad draft with maybe 20 players drafted before Gaunce that will be NHL regulars...and Gaunce went 50. Pracey is an OHL guy hence the Gaunce pick. Since then they have gone after specialty players in the non-OHL/WHL/NCAA leagues as shown by the Bournival and other picks. Heck even the W picks have been Ds or two way forwards.