Who would you have drafted?

[Gabe the Babe]

I looked at each pick, liked some based on who was available. Also disagreed with a few of them.

23. Connor Bleakley
- Perfect fit. Simple. I would have also accepted Kempe, Ho-Sang, Sherbak, or Barbashev.

84. Anton Karlsson
-Big two way winger with offensive upside, I thought he was a sure-fire early second round pick at the latest. Love him. Don't hate the Wood pick completely, just don't approve of it with Karlsson available.

93. Nick Magyar
-I think he will be a third liner who can possibly fill in the top 6 when guys go down. But that is great value at 93. Maybe Vanier or Wood (I think he'd have been available).

114. Ben Thomas
-I think we have a lack of solid RHD prospects, and while we don't need all stars, we could use a guy I think will be at worst a bottom pairing dman. If he works on his defense he could be a top 4 guy. He would've represented phenomenal value here. Not a fan of Pepin but he does intrigue me if he can focus on hockey.

144. Matt Mistele
-Dropped like a bag of hammers lol. I would have taken him here and he still would've been available at our next pick. Boom or bust essentially like all late round picks should be.

174. Sebastian Aho
-Beyond me how this kid didn't get drafted. If he doesn't get an invite to camp or whatever I'll kill myself. He's exactly like Krug to me.

204. Julien Nantel
-Love this pick up. I think you could have gone with a lot of guys here though. Baillie, Tkachev, Eller, Gardiner, Philp. Nantel actually is a huge gem I think though.

I went with a center that will likely move to right wing, four wingers (two for each side), and two puck moving dmen (one for each side).

What do you guys think?

Click to read more...

 

[Zandar]

The fact Watson was taken second to last is shocking. Worst yet it was to LA who will probably develop him into a 20 goal NHLer despite his size.

 

[StayAtHomeAv]

No idea about the later rounds, but I like your first 2 choices. Once Tuch was picked I was hoping for Bleackley or Kempe. Could not believe Karlsson was still around. He was probably my 3rd choice for that 1st round pick with who was available. I was really hoping we would trade back though for a couple 2nd round picks though.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Liked our draft overall. Some safer bets to make the show, even if they are bottom pairing/grinders.
However, a few of our picks also have that boom potential, which is exciting.

Would like to see the Avs invite Baillie to camp, give him a shot and sign him. Really not sure why he wasn't taken.

 

[CB Joe]

Liked our draft overall. Some safer bets to make the show, even if they are bottom pairing/grinders.
However, a few of our picks also have that boom potential, which is exciting.

Would like to see the Avs invite Baillie to camp, give him a shot and sign him. Really not sure why he wasn't taken.

The one thing the hobbyist scouts on these boards miss out on is that they don't really get a serious look at a player's personality and off-ice behaviour. I suspect a lot of the guys who dropped may have dropped for this reason.

 

[Iracundia]

Bleakley was my #1 so I couldn't be happier. Didn't even care what happened after that pick.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Other than picking another goalie (which we already sort of did since we traded our 2nd for Berra) and an overager dman, I liked all of the other picks.

 

[Bender]

Scherbak

 

[Gabe the Babe]

Damnit, you gotta pick Karlsson there. Still butthurt.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Think it's pretty clear Avs don't care about value, they go after who they want.

 

[Freudian]

I would probably have picked Bleackley too, especially after hearing what Pracey said about him.

The other rounds I'd basically just be an idiot with draft guides picking players that I liked the scouting report of. It would be a glorious mess.

I know Avs haven't had a lot of picks lately so they don't have much room to maneuver but I like when teams trade up to get a player that falls that they like.

 

[agentblack]

Barbashev
cool name, thats all.

 

[Blue Dragon]

I looked at each pick, liked some based on who was available. Also disagreed with a few of them.

23. Connor Bleakley
- Perfect fit. Simple. I would have also accepted Kempe, Ho-Sang, Sherbak, or Barbashev.

I'm sorry, but Ho-Sang is basically the opposite of the culture the Avs are trying to build.

 

[Balthazar]

I'm sorry, but Ho-Sang is basically the opposite of the culture the Avs are trying to build.

Which is?

 

[Gabe the Babe]

I'm sorry, but Ho-Sang is basically the opposite of the culture the Avs are trying to build.

Ho Sang has all of the talent in the world. If he had Bleakley's character in that he were a guy who brought it every shift and wasn't all about himself he'd be a top 5 pick no doubt imo.

I think Roy could get the best out of him and that'd be the steal of the draft. I do prefer the safe pick that could surprise people in Bleakley.

 

[nightonthesun]

My guy was McKeown. Maybe I overestimated our need for Top 4 types, with Bigras and Siemens inching closer. Bleackley was a great pick and now, with the multi-front contract battle waging, I think it's perfect. Barbashev was another curious slide into round 2. Echo Freudian-- past the first round, it's shots in the dark for me.

Oh, and, after his little public attention-grab, I couldn't be more pleased to have passed on Pepe Jr.

 

[henchman21]

Think it's pretty clear Avs don't care about value, they go after who they want.

This. I would have drafted differently, but it really doesn't matter. I'm actually pretty happy with the draft and feel the Avs did a really good job. There should be 3-4 NHL players out of the group... Bleackley is probably the only one with top 6/4 upside, but you need good cheap bottom 6/pairing depth to build a winner. My favorite pick was probably Magyar, the kid should be a really good tweener winger.

 

[nanzenkills]

My guy was McKeown. Maybe I overestimated our need for Top 4 types, with Bigras and Siemens inching closer. Bleackley was a great pick and now, with the multi-front contract battle waging, I think it's perfect. Barbashev was another curious slide into round 2. Echo Freudian-- past the first round, it's shots in the dark for me.

Oh, and, after his little public attention-grab, I couldn't be more pleased to have passed on Pepe Jr.

I still can't believe McKeown lasted til 50. And that the freaking Kings got him. LA had a good draft, they got Kempe later than I expected him to last as well. And Spencer Watson too.

 

[Hasbro]

I'm fine with Bleak and most of the guys I liked went before even our projected 2nd.

 

[PAZ]

I'm fine with Bleakley, I just think Scherbak is going to be a stud.

 

[landy92mack29]

other than the 2009 draft the avs have a terrible track record outside the 1st round. the last pick they made outside the 1st round that was any good other than 2009 draft is stastny back in 2005 which they didn't have a 1st round pick in and 3 2nd rounders.
2009 was amazing with o'reilly/Elliot/barrie outside the 1st but that has been the only good year in over a decade.

agree with the OP of who the avs should have taken except have gardiner instead of aho.

hope this turns into another 2009 for the avs

 

[Blue Dragon]

Which is?

They want guys who try their hardest every shift, guys who work hard, leaders, character guys, guys who put team first. That is not Ho-Sang.

 

[Yetti090]

Here is who I think the AVS should have targeted. Not saying it wasnt a good draft, and some of these guys could be stars, but overall, not the flashiest draft.

Number 23: Adrian Kempe (a big two way winger, just what the AVS need in their farm), or Brendan Lemieux. (Same deal as Kempe, just the guy we needed in our farm. Hard nose winger with size.) Not saying I dont like Bleackley. I like him a lot, but lets be honest, wingers is a HUGE NEED.

Number 84: Chase De Leo (here is where we could have grabbed our center. (Big offensive upside to this kid. Really smart and great shot. Had 81 points last season in the WHL)

Number 94: Nicholas Magyar (Keep this pick. Great depth pick and I am looking forward to him being on the roster in 3-4 years when he puts a little more size on that big frame. Magyar has insane puck protection skills. Will be a great 2nd/3rd line winger a few years down the road)

Number 114: Oskar Lindblom (6'2 190lbs and still growing. Very powerful guy who uses his size really really well. He isnt the flashiest player, but plug him in on a 3rd or 4th line and let him get to work and fight for the puck. In most highlight videos, he will win you the puck back)

Number 144: Anton Lindholm (I dont mind this pick either. Another size guy. Who know's the ceiling on this guy. I havent done my homework on him to be honest.)

Number 174: Matthew Mistele (One more time a size winger. 6'2 190 and will add more weight. His numbers kind of went south over the past few seasons with the Whalers. I read that this was due to him not playing hard on all shifts. I think going to an organization like the AVS we could kick his butt into gear)

Number 205: Julien Nantel (I loved this pick. I think this kid is super underrated. Great 2-way forward. Great shot and smart guy.)

Thoughts?

 

[tigervixxxen]

I don't think of Bleackley as just a center. If they need him as a winger then he'll do just fine there so I don't think of it as not addressing the need. Also I believe a right shot was really important for them here.

I agree Magyar and Nantel were their best value picks, can't argue with either of those. I had some other favorites available in other spots, I probably would not have taken another goalie. I know they can stash him away in Europe for a while but they are overflowing with goalies. Who they picked is fine, I'm not really disappointed they didn't get anyone in particular who went after the mid second anyway so they didn't have the opportunity anyway.

 

[Gabe the Babe]

Here is who I think the AVS should have targeted. Not saying it wasnt a good draft, and some of these guys could be stars, but overall, not the flashiest draft.

Number 23: Adrian Kempe (a big two way winger, just what the AVS need in their farm), or Brendan Lemieux. (Same deal as Kempe, just the guy we needed in our farm. Hard nose winger with size.) Not saying I dont like Bleackley. I like him a lot, but lets be honest, wingers is a HUGE NEED.

Number 84: Chase De Leo (here is where we could have grabbed our center. (Big offensive upside to this kid. Really smart and great shot. Had 81 points last season in the WHL)

Number 94: Nicholas Magyar (Keep this pick. Great depth pick and I am looking forward to him being on the roster in 3-4 years when he puts a little more size on that big frame. Magyar has insane puck protection skills. Will be a great 2nd/3rd line winger a few years down the road)

Number 114: Oskar Lindblom (6'2 190lbs and still growing. Very powerful guy who uses his size really really well. He isnt the flashiest player, but plug him in on a 3rd or 4th line and let him get to work and fight for the puck. In most highlight videos, he will win you the puck back)

Number 144: Anton Lindholm (I dont mind this pick either. Another size guy. Who know's the ceiling on this guy. I havent done my homework on him to be honest.)

Number 174: Matthew Mistele (One more time a size winger. 6'2 190 and will add more weight. His numbers kind of went south over the past few seasons with the Whalers. I read that this was due to him not playing hard on all shifts. I think going to an organization like the AVS we could kick his butt into gear)

Number 205: Julien Nantel (I loved this pick. I think this kid is super underrated. Great 2-way forward. Great shot and smart guy.)

Thoughts?

I wouldn't mind Kempe... and of course he went to the Kings. The rich get richer.

Honestly, the whole reason I made this thread is because I wanted Karlsson so bad at that 84 spot. Absolutely ridiculous to think he was still there and we didn't take him. Damnit.