The NHL Draft begins tonight, with the first round tonight and rounds two through seven tomorrow. The first pick for the Avalanche will be number 50, in the middle of round two.
Drafty has been tearing up the Avalanche draft history this week, with some really great posts. He reminds us all that the Avs generally do much better in later rounds than they do in the first, so the loss of the top pick to Columbus (for Adam Foote's services) is probably not that big of a loss.
Adrian Dater also adds his own contribution to the "Avs suck at early drafting" meme with a great look at what the team said after picking some of the biggest draft busts in team history.
2002, Jonas Johansson, first round, 28th overall
What was said: “”We certainly had him rated pretty high,” Avalanche chief scout Jim Hammett said. “We’re expecting big things from him. He has very good hockey sense. That’s something you can’t teach.”
What happened:
Johansson never played for the Avalanche. His NHL career lasted one game, with the Washington Capitals. He was last seen kicking around the Swedish League a year ago, after kicking around the North American minor leagues.
The rest is great (if slightly painful) reading.
Don't expect any posting from me tonight, since the Avs will be sitting the first round out. I'll probably profile their first pick in the second round, but I don't follow prospects as closely as I should, so you'll need to rely on Jori for a better feel. Don't forget to check out her great blog, Avs Prospects.