{"id":13702,"date":"2017-07-27T09:00:36","date_gmt":"2017-07-27T13:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=13702"},"modified":"2025-10-10T22:55:49","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T02:55:49","slug":"tsp-colorado-avalanche-prospects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2017\/07\/27\/tsp-colorado-avalanche-prospects\/","title":{"rendered":"TSP: Colorado Avalanche Prospects"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to the 2017 edition of \u201cTop Shelf Prospects\u201d. \u00a0During the summer, I will feature a team-by-team look at the top prospects in the NHL. I will follow the order of the first round of the NHL draft (as if there were no trades). You\u00a0can find all the articles here<\/a>. Since we had an\u00a0extensive NHL Draft preview<\/a>, I will not be reviewing the players who were drafted this year. There have been no games since then, and my reports on them will not have changed.<\/em><\/p>\n

I will link you to those articles; as well as taking a look at prospects that were acquired before this year\u2019s draft; their progress, and their chances of making the 2017-18 roster.\u00a0<\/em>I will also bring you one sleeper pick \u2013 a player who was either drafted in the 4th-round or later; or an undrafted free agent signing who I pick as a dark horse to make the NHL. The cut-off for prospects is typically 50 NHL games played or being 25 years old. These are not hard or fast rules though, and I may make some exceptions depending on the circumstances.<\/em><\/p>\n

TSP: Colorado Avalanche Prospects<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a>Nothing went right for the Avalanche in 2016-17. The season got off to an ominous start when head coach Patrick Roy<\/a><\/strong> resigned late last summer. He was replaced by Jared Bednar<\/strong>. The results just did not follow though. According to the standings, the Avalanche were the worst team in the NHL, by a wide margin. They scored the least goals in the NHL, and gave up the most against. Their -112 goal differential is 49 worse than the next closest club. The season was the worst in franchise history, and that includes some dark days when they were the Quebec Nordiques.<\/p>\n

Adding insult to injury, the Avalanche had their worst possible result in the NHL Draft Lottery falling out of the top three picks, and forcing them to fourth overall. Even the bright spots, like Avalanche draftee\u00a0Will Butcher<\/strong> winning the Hobey Baker Award<\/a>, came with dark clouds. Butcher has announced that he will test the free agent market on August 15th<\/a>. A deal with Colorado is said to be highly unlikely, and so we won’t be ranking\/profiling him here.<\/p>\n

2017 NHL Draft Picks:\u00a0Cale Makar<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0Conor Timmins<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0Nick Henry<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0Petr Kvaca<\/strong>,\u00a0Igor Shvyrev<\/strong>,\u00a0Denis Smirnov<\/strong>,\u00a0Nick Leivermann
\n<\/strong>Graduates:\u00a0Mikko Rantanen<\/a><\/strong>,<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Top Prospect: Tyson Jost<\/a><\/h3>\n

Centre \u2014 Shoots Left
\nBorn March 17th 1998 \u2014 Kelowna, British Columbia
\nHeight 6\u20190\u201d \u2014 Weight 195 lbs [183 cm\/88 kg]
\nDrafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the 1st round, #10\u00a0overall at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft<\/p>\n