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Colorado Avalanche select Nikolai Kovalenko in the sixth round of the NHL draft

A second generation Avalanche drafted in the sixthound

By Tom Hunter

With the 171st pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, the Colorado Avalanche select Nikolai Kovalenko of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the KHL. Nikolai is the son of one-time Avalanche Andrei Kovolenko.

At 5’10, 170 Kovalenko is a left-shooting right winger that has great hands and is able to make plays through traffic. He’s a puck-handler that has great awareness on the ice and the stickhandling ability to maintain possession for his team. He was also used as a penalty killer this past season.

He had 10 goals ad 31 points through 33 games in the MHL this season before suiting up with Lokomotiv for four KHL playoff games. He was ranked as high as 66 by HockeyProspects.com.

A Quebec Nordique draft pick in 1990, Kovalenko Sr. played more than 600 games in the NHL - 28 of which were with the Colorado Avalanche.

Here is a look at a beautiful pass from Kovalenko (15) to set up a goal:

Here is another look at his playmaking skills: