| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| admin |
Posted - 05/01/2013 : 00:36:27
From our news feed....
"The Colorado Avalanche won the 2013 NHL Draft Lottery Monday, getting a chance to acquire a big, offensive defenseman in Seth Jones.
The 2013 NHL Draft will be held June 30 in New Jersey.
Jones, a defenseman for the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League, is the No. 1 ranked prospect by the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau.
He helped Team USA win the World Junior Championship this year and is a blue-chip prospect expected to make an immediate step into the NHL next season.
The son of former NBA star Popeye Jones, he had 14 goals and 56 points in 61 games this season and was ranked ahead of Halifax Mooseheads forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.
With forwards like Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog and PA Parenteau, the Avalanche has a solid foundation from which to build.
"Clearly, given the talent we have on this team right now, we're adding another elite prospect to the solid foundation that we have," said Avalanche GM Greg Sherman.
"There's a lot to like about Jones," said Avalaanche director of amateur scouting, Rick Pracey. "His size and skating ability are two things that jump off the page and are attention grabbers, but his ability to rush the puck and make decisions coming out of the D-zone to create offense from the back end has our attention. He's an individual that brings two-way ability, size and reach."
Pracey also praised MacKinnon and Drouin.
"Drouin is a skill-set type of player who makes others around him better," Pracey said. "MacKinnon is more of a power play [guy] and his skating is elite. We like his intensity and his energy."
He added that picking Jones first overall, "is not a slam dunk decision by any means."
This year's lottery was the first in NHL history in which all 14 clubs not qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs -- or the clubs that have acquired the first-round drafting positions of those non-playoff teams - had a chance at winning the right to the No. 1 selection. In seasons past, only the bottom-five teams had a crack at the top pick.
The Avalanche finished 29th this season at 16-25-7 and had 18.8-percent chance to win the lottery. They were three points ahead of the last-place Florida Panthers, who had the greatest odds to get the first lottery pick at 25 percent.
The Tampa Bay Lightning had a 14.2 percent chance of getting the top pick. The other teams who had an opportunity were: Nashville Predators (10.7), Carolina Hurricanes (8.1), Calgary Flames (6.2), Edmonton Oilers (4.7), Buffalo Sabres (3.6), New Jersey Devils (2.7), Dallas Stars (2.1), Philadelphia Flyers (1.5), Phoenix Coyotes (1.1), Winnipeg Jets (0.8) and Columbus Blue Jackets (0.5)."
Article © AHN |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| @valanche |
Posted - 05/03/2013 : 14:01:44
I always think it's risky drafting D-men early, especially top pick. However, Jones is being proclaimed as a sure thing number 1 cornerstone defenseman... If he reaches that status it's impossible to pass the kid up ....as theres only a handful of those defenseman in the league and likely none available through trade or FA.
66 is > than 99 |
| Alex116 |
Posted - 05/03/2013 : 08:25:05
quote:
Originally posted by Guest6422
I have watched Huberdeau for many years in Saint John, his main position has always been LW. The only time he played C was on the Power Play. I don't know why everyone keeps callings him a C and wants Drouin to be drafted to play with him. MacKinnon would make much more sense for a line partner. Did Huberdeau not play LW in Florida all year?
Being in Vancouver, i see very little of the Florida Panthers and had assumed, and pretty sure i heard, he was playing center most of the year? However, i did read an article that said "Huberdeau was named the to the QMJHL First All-Star Team as a left wing" (in 2011). I've seen him listed as a C mostly, but i can't say for sure that he's been playing there mostly this year? Yahoo's Florida Panthers depth chart has him at left wing, though he's listed as the 2nd line winger which i find hard to believe? NHL.com has him as C with Florida?
Maybe someone can confirm where he's played the bulk of his minutes this season? |
| Guest6422 |
Posted - 05/03/2013 : 05:16:47
I have watched Huberdeau for many years in Saint John, his main position has always been LW. The only time he played C was on the Power Play. I don't know why everyone keeps callings him a C and wants Drouin to be drafted to play with him. MacKinnon would make much more sense for a line partner. Did Huberdeau not play LW in Florida all year? |
| Alex116 |
Posted - 05/02/2013 : 21:18:59
It's equalling intriguing to see who goes 2 & 3. Florida, already with Huberdeau down the middle, could opt to go with a dynamic winger in Drouin, or, being that they have some other prospects to fill those spots, could secure their top 2 center spots by going with MacKinnon! How good would a 1/1a of Huberdeau and MacKinnon look moving forward???
Then, the Lightning get whichever one the Panthers leave to them. Either Drouin or MacKinnon would sure look good as team mates to Stamkos moving forward!!!
These 3 guys all seem to be game changers and a step above the rest of this extremely deep draft. Who knows though, Barkov, Nichushkin, etc could end up being as good or better than any of these guys? A very deep draft from everything that's being reported!!! |
| Guest4377 |
Posted - 05/02/2013 : 21:17:44
And what about Ryan O'Reilly? Hey - the Avs have a lot of good young players in their lineup, and forget about the rhetoric and respect for other top draft choices, the Avs will take Seth Jones with their first overall pick.
The Avalanche look very good for the future. Colorado has nine players going to the IIHF World Championships. I know that's a huge consolation to competing for this year's Stanley Cup, but the Avs were not expected to compete for the cup this year (or make the playoffs for that matter), but their rebuild is taking form.
If you look at the bottom three teams after the 2004-2005 lockout, it was Pittsburgh, Chicago and Washington. Two of these teams won cups (Penguins and Hawks), and the other team (Caps) has done reasonably well. And for the most part, it's been through top draft choices, great free agent signings, etc., similar things to what Colorado is doing.
I think the Avs will be a top team in the next 2-3 years (not best in the league or their conference necessarily) and while they may not win the cup in the next 2-3 years (or soon afterwards), they will be a formidable team in the near future, a top 3 team in the west, or a top 6 team in the league! |
| Guest9808 |
Posted - 05/02/2013 : 20:34:47
"With forwards like Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog and PA Parenteau, the Avalanche has a solid foundation from which to build."
Apparently Paul Statsny is a washout and will not be part of the future core of the Avs. That is quite a fall. |
| Guest2550 |
Posted - 05/01/2013 : 19:10:07
Hopefully Seth Jones is every bit as good as he's projected, it sounds like the Avs are really high on him. Personally I really like Drouin especially the idea of him and Duchene playing together . |
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