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In Pracey We Trust Part 3

UPDATED: Profiles have been added. This is a list that takes into account the Avs habits of past drafts (see IPWT part 1) but still includes some (Eric Roy) that may not even be on their radar. Plenty of good players not on this list (and the ones before) that the Avs could go after, especially out of the other leagues not listed (especially Minnesota High School).

Here are the names to watch for in regards to North American players (from the CHL & USHL) the Avs may target from the 3rd round on. In Part 2, I profiled a few options for the 32nd overall pick. The list (for #32) included players from McKenzie's top 15-39 list and also included a few that the Avs may be high enough on to take in the second but more than likely looked to be later second round options. Players like Duclair & Sorensen may be higher on the Avs' list due to ties to Roy but are also good options for the 3rd round pick (and on if they last to then). The "Mac Factor" may effect where his old linemate Taylor Cammarata ends up. Likely a 3rd or 4th round option due to size, Taylor still has a lot that both the Avs and Florida like. With past success with Nathan, a team like the Avs or Florida may make the move to add an extra pick (Avs) or draft higher than expected (Florida) with the hope that reuniting them will be a huge plus. Even with that said, any of the players listed in the 31-39 and others mentioned could be available for the Avs in the 3rd round. Players fall really easily and a team who sticks to the BPA focus could end up with a steal.

In alphabetical order:

QMJHL:

Gabryel Paquin Boudreau F- small, skilled and smart winger who could be mid to late rounder.

Simon Boudreau D- Big defensive D. Raw but possible late pick.

Anthony Duclair F- fast skilled scoring winger from Roy's team. Some concerns/may not fit Avs focus.

Vincent Dunn F- feisty hard hitting forward with solid upside. Late round option

Kurt Etchegary F- hard working feisty two way center with solid upside. Mid round option and definitely one to watch.

Guillaume Gauthier F- small skilled winger who hasn't lived up to expectations. May go undrafted

Jeremy Gregoire F- another hard working aggressive two way player and one to watch for sure. Would imagine he could be a great mid round pick for the Avs and one they have on their list.

Matt Murphy D- Big physical good skating D. Has some question marks but still nice potential.

Martin Reway F- small Czech forward with good upside. Smart and skilled.

Nick Sorensen F- all around scoring winger from Roy's team. Good upside & mid round option.

WHL:

Myles Bell F- undrafted skilled former D moved to forward and tore up league. One to watch.

Oliver Bjorkstrand F- slick scoring winger with good upside despite questionable physical play.

Colby Cave F- Physical power forward who has some stuff to work on. Good upside.

Eric Comrie G- agile starting goalie who plays aggressive. Behind Fucale in rankings.

Mason Geertsen D- Big solid aggressive & mean all around D. Solid upside but nothing remarkable.

Jared Hauf D- Huge defensive D with good upside as shutdown D & fighter.

Dillon Heatherington D- good skating hard working all around D with two-way upside but likely a shutdown D. Possible 3rd or 4th round option if he lasts until then.

Spenser Jensen D- Big stay at home project D. May not be on the Avs list until the later rounds but could go much earlier to another team.

Keegan Kanzig D- Hulking physical defensive D with no offensive upside. Question will be how much the Avs value pure defensive Ds as even with Duncan he is an excellent skater/leader.

Jesse Lees D- Skilled great skating D. Could be late round steal

Tim McGauley F- two way skilled forward and late round option.

Jay Merkley F- smart & skilled forward who works hard. Darkhorse candidate. good option for the Avs

Connor Rankin F- fast hard working forward who plays a two-way game. One to watch as he looks like an Avs prospect.

Eric Roy D- highly skilled D who unfortunately can shift momentum for either team due to inconsistency. High risk if taken in the top rounds but has the talent of a top round pick.

OHL:

Nicholas Baptiste F- fast physical two way winger who continues to improve.

Stephen Harper F- down year for highly regarded player. Big, skilled and physical

Ryan Kujawinski F- Up and down year but big & physical with good skating & skill. One to watch

Spencer Martin G- great agility/reflexes. Big goalie who could be great mid round option.

Zach Nastasiuk F- hard working physical two way winger. Solid offensive upside that could improve.

Brody Silk F- physical forward who's offense hasn't taken off. likely bottom 6 project if it doesn't

Jordan Subban D- small highly regarded offensive D. 3rd round target if still available.

And not to forget undrafted players who could be drafted by the Avs: JC Lipon, Alex Gudbranson & Reid Gow.

Of course this is just a few players from each of the CHL leagues. The Avs could go with players from overseas more or even from high school & similar levels but for the most part their history of drafting has stuck mostly to the CHL & US leagues. This could be a big year for WHL players joining the Avs group of prospects along with an increased representation of players from the QMJHL.

Names like Subban, Roy, Heatherington along with others will jump out right away. Even with the bigger & more media spotlighted names, there are still many that could be draft steals in the later rounds. So while watching for who drafts Subban and company, keep an eye out for guys like Kujawinski, Gregoire and Etchegary to be in the Avs' sights somewhere from the 3rd round on.

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