Colorado Avalanche: Analyzing the Team's Necessity in the 2017 NHL Draft
The Colorado Avalanche need to direct most of their focus toward rebuilding, and the draft is a huge part of that direction. Below, the team’s necessities in the draft are analyzed.
There are two holes in the Colorado Avalanche roster right now, and said holes are on the right wing, and on defense.
The Avs technically have two pretty legit defensemen on the right side in Tyson Barrie and Erik Johnson; however, Barrie is a questionable addition in the “legit” category.
Furthermore, they have some good prospects in their defensive ranks as well.
Nicolas Meloche projects as a top four two-way defenseman with a high offensive ceiling, and he shoots right-handed.
Chris Bigras has the potential to become a legitimate puck-moving defenseman. And, Nikita Zadorov projects as a top four defenseman with the defensive acumen this team needs. Both Chris Bigras and Nikita Zadorov are left-handed defensemen.
More From Mile High Sticking: Analyzing a Trade for Brandon Carlo
So, the Avs seemingly have their top four locked up with Erik Johnson and Tyson Barrie manning the right side, and Chris Bigras and Nikita Zadorov manning the left.
Unfortunately, none of those defensemen could be considered a No. 1 D-man, and that’s a problem.
Nonetheless, the Colorado Avalanche also have another glaring issue in their lineup. They have no right wingers in their organization capable of playing in the top six — the Avs have no prospects, and no players currently on the NHL roster capable of filling that role. And, that is also a problem.
So, the question becomes, who should the Avalanche draft with their nearly guaranteed top five pick in the first round?
Let’s start with defense.
Timothy Liljegren
I literally cannot find a picture of Timothy Liljegren anywhere, so you guys get a video of him rocketing a shot from the point instead.
The problem with having a bunch of unproven prospects is that you don’t know how said prospects are going to turn out.
Nikita Zadorov could become the shut down defenseman the Avs have been looking for. Nicolas Meloche is a defenseman the Avs should be extremely excited about. And Chris Bigras projects as a steady presence in the top four.
More From Mile High Sticking: Building the New Core for the Avs
Unfortunately, none of them are projected as top-pairing defensemen currently. That could of course change with time, but the Avs need a No. 1 defenseman sooner rather than later.
Timothy Liljegren is that kind of defenseman. He’s a right-handed shot, he can skate, he can shoot and he can defend. He’s projected to go No. 2 overall this year for a reason. And he’s definitely the type of defenseman the Avs can build around.
However, with so many defensive prospects in the system, should the Avs really draft a defenseman in the first round?
Nolan Patrick
To my estimation, there are three right-shooting forwards the Avs should target in this draft. Nolan Patrick is obviously the pinnacle of those forwards, and he needs to be given his due if the Avs draft No. 1 overall.
Patrick is by no means a right winger, but he’s played the position throughout his career, and the transition should not be hard for him.
Also, he’s obviously going to be the No. 1 pick this year, and if the Avs want the best right-shooting forward in the draft then Patrick is the easy the choice.
However, there are two other options I believe the Avs should consider as well.
Gabriel Vilardi
Vilardi is young, very young, he’s actually just barely draft eligible. So, he will need time to develop, and won’t be ready for the NHL next season, unlike Nolan Patrick.
However, he has an extremely high ceiling, and may end up becoming the best player drafted after at least two years of development.
Unfortunately, he is another center, and is not really billed as a right winger. Nonetheless, he is a right-handed shot, and could certainly develop into a productive winger on the right side.
More From Mile High Sticking: Considering Avs’ EJ as Trade Bait
Furthermore, he’s a real good two-way player, and the Avs need a two-way player in the top six like late night partiers need water.
I think — if you’re the Avs, you take a risk on a player of Vilardi’s caliber. He won’t turn 18 until August of 2017, and his ceiling is very high. He’s also a two-way skill that the Avs need desperately.
Nonetheless, the Avs also need a pure scorer in their top six, and I have just the pick.
Owen Tippett
Owen Tippett might be my favorite player out of this group because the Avs have a real hard time scoring.
They don’t have any player capable of notching goals at an astronomical pace, and Tippett could be a 40-50 goal scorer some day. In other words, Tippet is a sniper through and through — witness:
The thing that I like about him the most is that he is willing to go the dirty area to get his goals. He hangs out around the net, and is willing to get hit for his shots in front of the net.
Furthermore, he is also still only 17 years old, and he turns 18 in February. Thus, he is a very young prospect as well, but still has the capability to fit into the top six of the Avs immediately.
He’s fast, and he scores, and the Avalanche need a goal scorer in their top six, especially along the right wing.
Nonetheless, these forward prospects are ranked in order from most needed to least needed, so Tippett finds himself at the bottom of the list.
Conclusion
The Colorado Avalanche need a right winger to play with Nathan MacKinnon, and that should be their main focus.
As much as I want the Avs to draft a defenseman in the first round, I think their most glaring need is at right wing.
Furthermore, they have a wealth of depth at the center position and can afford to trade a center for a top-flight defenseman.
The best talent in this draft — beside Timothy Liljegren — is at the forward position, and the Avs could use a right winger more than a defenseman.
Still, they need a No. 1 defenseman badly, but they need to make a trade to acquire that type of defenseman, instead of drafting him.
Hopefully the Avs focus on the hole at right wing in this year’s draft, and make a trade for a No. 1 defenseman in the meantime. What do ‘ye faithful Avs fans think?
More from Mile High Sticking
This article originally appeared on 
