Avalanche Select Dillon Donnelly

In the final round, the Avalanche took another defenseman from the QMJHL in Dillon Donnelly (183rd overall). The American is 6'2" and 193 lbs. He plays for Shawinigan Cataractes where he scored 1 goal and 7 assists in 63 games last season. Donnelly's father, Gord, was drafted 62nd overall in the 1981 by St. Louis -- he played for Quebec, Winnipeg, Buffalo and Dallas appearing in 554 games (28-41-69), totaling 2,069 penalty minutes. He is currently a scout for the Chicago Blackhawks. Dillon follows in his footsteps with a physical style of play.

Per the Bruins 2011 Draft watch

He's got good size (6-1, 188)and physical attributes to make him a potential crease-clearer when he fills out, but one thing he also has going for him is a September 7, 1993 birthdate, making him one of the youngest players in the class. That means that he's only starting to come into his development, and with what is seen by some scouts as some pretty adept puckhandling skills, he could evolve into a better prospect than he's being projected as right now. On the downside, he doesn't seem to have an abundance of vision and natural instincts and is susceptible to an aggressive forecheck.

The Shawinigan Cataracte blue liner isn't flashy or spectacular, but Red Line Report has him as their 11th-ranked prospect in the QMJHL in their September issue, and if he has a strong year, I think you'll see him emerge as a solid mid-round option at the draft.

Interview from the Avs' website: