DENVER, Colo. – Always a team to play things close to the vest, the Colorado Avalanche appears to have confounded both fans and foes alike by going “off the board” to chose an undersized and virtually unknown project forward for their opening pick in the first round.
1. Joey Hishon – round one, overall pick #17 by the Colorado Avalanche, 5′ 10″, 170 lbs. A Center from the Owen Sound Attack in the OHL.
Hishon, is a center playing for Owen Sound in the OHL. His last season was injury plagued and he managed to play in only 36 total games while averaging more than a point per game. It is apparent that Avalanche scout, Rick Pracey, saw enough of Hishon to be able to extrapolate his skill set into a mid first round pick.
2. Calvin Pickard – round 2 overall pick # 49. 6’1″ 195 lbs. Goalie from the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL.
After trading their number 47 pick to Los Angeles for numbers 49 and 107 overall the Avalanche used the 49th pick for goalie prospect Calvin Pickard from the Seattle Thunderbirds. At 6′ 0″ and 195 lbs. Pickard has good size and strength and is used to seeing a lot of shots. He has represented Canada internationally in the IIHF World Under-18 tourney and won a Gold medal at the Ivan Hlinka Tourney in 2009.
Choosing a goalie in the second round was a wise and timely choice. With the years it takes to develop a solid goalie the Avalanche will need to make that a priority. None of the current goalie prospects are poised to step in to back up Craig Anderson therefore last season’s back up, Peter Budaj, was given a new contract as the number 2.
3. Michael Bournival – round 3 overall pick #71, a 5′ 11″ 179 lbs. Left Wing from the Shawnigan Cataractes of the QMJHL.
Another smallish skilled forward from Shawnigan of the QMJHL, Bournival, suited up for team Canada at the 2010 IIHF World Under-18 tournament in 2010.
4. Stephen Silas – round 4 at #95 overall 6′ 1″ 183 lbs. defenseman from Belleville Bulls of the OHL.
The first defenseman chosen by the Avalanche is highly regarded by the Bulls coaching staff for his good on ice vision and competitive nature.
5. Sami Aittokallio – round 4 at #107 overall, 6′ 1″ 174 lbs. Goalie from Ilves Jr. of the Finnnish Jr. program.
After seeming to shy away from European players in recent drafts, the Avalanche stepped up to secure this talented young Finnish Goalie.
Aittokallio is sure to spend a few more years honing his skills in the Finnish goalie factories.
6. Troy Rutkowski – round 5 at #137 overall, at 6′ 2″ 208 lbs. he is a defenseman from the Portland Winterhawks.
A bigger d-man with a lot of offensive upside, Rutkowski, scored 43 points for the Winterhawks this past season. A late round pick, Rutkowski is a longshot but with continued work on his defensive zone coverage, he has the size and smarts to get to the next level.
7. Luke Walker – round 5 at #139 overall a Right Winger, At 6′ 1″ 174 lbs. Walker is also from the Portland Winterhawks.
Walker competed for team USA in the IIHF World Jr. Championships Gold medal winning team in 2010. As a possible AHL eligible player for next season, the Avalanche may want to see how Walker develops in Lake Erie.
8. Luke Moffat – round 7 at #197 overall, a Center, at 6′ 1″ and 187 lbs. Moffat played with US National Team Developmental Program.
An interesting final pick, Moffat’s selection likely reflects the time spent in Prescott Valley, Arizona by former Avalanche player and current heir apparent to Pierre Lacroix, his son, Eric Lacroix.
As an owner and assistant coach of the Central Hockey League’s Arizona Sundogs, Lacriox the younger, did a lot to encourage local hockey participation in the Prescott – Prescott Valley area. It seems the drafting of this young University of Michigan prospect is a tip of the hat from the Avalanche organization for Eric Lacroix’s toils in the minor leagues.
In a not very deep draft, the Avalanche has chosen to thumb their noses at Central Scouting and pick up some project players and make a few surprising decisions in restocking their prospect pool. Time will tell if any of their choices pan out and to what extent.
Contact the author at terry.sanford@prohockeynews.com
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