2012 NHL Draft Grades: With No First Round Pick, Avalanche Given 'Incomplete' Grade By SB Nation

The Colorado Avalanche lost any intrigue that the 2012 draft would have brought back in free agency last season when they traded their first round pick in 2012 and a second round pick as well to the Washington Capitals for Semyon Varlamov.

That first rounder ended up being the 11th overall pick in this year's draft, which the Caps used to pick up Filip Forsberg, who fell a long way in the draft despite being ranked as high as the third best player by some scouts, possibly because he had informed teams he would be returning to Sweden for another season of play after being drafted.

SB Nation's NHL Draft Grades for the Western Conference, released at the tail end of the draft's second day, don't provide a grade for the Avalanche because they didn't pick until 41st overall, where they selected Mitchell Heard. There is a bit of a knock on the team for trading the pick that ended up being Forsberg, though.

Colorado Avalanche: With no first-round pick, the Avs are likely kicking themselves for giving up the pick that became Filip Forsberg to the Capitals. INCOMPLETE

I'm sure most Avalanche fans would disagree with that analysis, mostly because that pick which was traded for an unproven prospect who will miss at least a year playing in Sweden was swapped for a goaltender who proved he could be elite at times last season. Few Avs fans are complaining about having a future goalie who has shown stud potential in Varlamov compared to Forsberg.

Most analysts didn't think Forsberg would fall that far so there's no telling if the Avs would have selected him there anyway. Colorado has shown that they don't mind picking 'off the board' as it were before, such as when they selected Joey Hishon a few drafts back.

We'll have to wait a few years to see if any of the later round picks by the Avs, specifically Heard, turn into anything special. They've gotten good value in later rounds with guys like David Jones before.

For more coverage, visit our Avalanche blog Mile High Hockey. For coverage of the entire NHL Draft, visit SB Nation NHL.

2012 NHL Draft: Joey LaLeggia Of Denver Pioneers Selected In 5th Round By Oilers

Joey LaLeggia finished with 38 points in 43 games this past season for the Denver Pioneers, and now the defenseman is headed to the NHL. LaLeggia was selected with the second pick in the fifth round by Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.

Before coming to the Pioneers, LaLeggia spent three seasons playing for the Penticton Vees of the BCHL. In 2010-2011, LaLeggia totaled 20 goals and 62 assists in 58 games for the Vees. The previous season, he finished with 65 points in 54 games with 13 goals.

LaLeggia will be undersized in the NHL at just 5-foot-10, 180 lbs.

Corey Pronman of Hockey Prospectus ranked Laleggia the No. 89 prospect in the draft and described the defense like this:

He’s a good skater with a great offensive mind who would be a nice shot in the dark pick in the mid-rounds due to his notable offensive upside. He flashes high-end hockey sense with his quick game processing and he’s really effective moving the puck out of his own end and controlling the blue line on the power play. Laleggia has solid puck skills as well, at times showing above average, but he is a much better passer than he is an individual creator. He skates well, moving fluidly in all four directions. His main weakness is his physical game, which is below replacement level.

For coverage of the entire NHL Draft, visit SB Nation NHL.

2012 NHL Draft: Avalanche Finish Draft By Selecting Forward Colin Smith In 7th Round

With their final selection of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Colorado Avalanche selected forward Colin Smith with the 192nd overall selection.

Smith, 19, has played four seasons with the WHL Kamloops Blazers. He scored 85 points in 72 games last season with the Blazers, including 35 goals. Yahoo! named Colin Smith as one of the potential gems available on Day Two of the draft.

Smith sticks out since he played for Canada in the IIHF world under-18 championship in April, albeit when several of his peers were still engaged in league playoffs. The Edmonton native had 50 points as a 17-year-old on a bad Blazers team.

Colorado focused on smart, two-way forward prospects with each of their first four selections in this draft, and they made it a clean sweep by selecting Smith. Five picks in this draft, five forwards selected.

Here is your Colorado Avalanche 2012 Draft Class:

Second Round: Forward Mitchell Heard

Third Round: Forward Troy Bourke

Fifth Round: Michael Clarke

Sixth Round: Forward Joseph Blandisi

Seventh Round: Forward Colin Smith

For more coverage, visit our Avalanche blog Mile High Hockey. For coverage of the entire NHL Draft, visit SB Nation NHL.

2012 NHL Draft: Avalanche Select Forward Joseph Blandisi In 6th Round

With the 162nd overall selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Colorado Avalanche have selected forward Joseph Blandisi.

Blandisi, 17, played last season with the OHL Owen Sound Attack and scored 17 goals in 68 games as a rookie. Still extremely young, Blandisi

After focusing on smart, two-way forwards with their first three selections of the draft, the Avalanche continued that trend by selecting Blandisi. OHL Prospects Blog likes Blandisi's work ethic and two-way focus.

He's an offensively gifted player who competes hard at both ends of the ice. He plays bigger than his size, has a strong work ethic, is a good skater and can score in multiple ways.

Colorado will have one remaining pick in this year's draft, the #192 pick in the seventh round. Will Colorado select a defenseman or goalie in this year's draft?

For more coverage, visit our Avalanche blog Mile High Hockey. For coverage of the entire NHL Draft, visit SB Nation NHL.

2012 NHL Draft: Colorado Selects Forward Michael Clarke In 5th Round

After choosing not to trade back into the fourth round, the Colorado Avalanche selected forward Michael Clarke with the 132nd overall selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Clarke, 18, played last season with the OHL Windsor Spitfires. He scored 15 goals in 68 games this past season, his first full year with Windsor.

In an interview with Yahoo! last season, Clarke was praised for his well-rounded game and mature attitude.

"He's more of a two-way guy," Warren Rychel says. "He's got pretty good positioning, he's tough to deal with the faceoff circle and pays attention to [detail], that's his strength right now.

Colorado has selected three players so far in this draft, and all are considered smart, two-way players.

Barring any trades, the Avalanche have two remaining picks left at #162 (sixth round) and #192 (seventh round).

For more coverage, visit our Avalanche blog Mile High Hockey. For coverage of the entire NHL Draft, visit SB Nation NHL.

2012 NHL Draft: Colorado Takes Forward Troy Bourke In 3rd Round

With their second selection, the Colorado Avalanche have selected forward Troy Bourke 72nd overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Bourke, 18, has been playing with the WHL Prince George Cougars for the last three seasons and tallied 56 points in 71 games last season.

The forward is currently listed at 5 feet 10 and 170 pounds, so it is very likely that he will stay in the WHL for at least another season to continue his physical development.

The Hockey Writers profiled Bourke earlier this season:

Numbers aside, Bourke is an intriguing prospect. The first traits that jump off the ice surface are a smooth skating ability and his offensive skillset. He is a quick, shifty and elusive winger who exhibits very good hockey sense.

Colorado does not own a 4th round selection in this year's draft after trading it to the Phoenix Coyotes for Daniel Winnik back in 2010. Winnik has since been traded to the San Jose Sharks.

For more coverage, visit our Avalanche blog Mile High Hockey. For coverage of the entire NHL Draft, visit SB Nation NHL.

2012 NHL Draft: Avalanche Make First Selection Of 2012, Snare Forward Mitchell Heard 41st Overall

After trading away their 2012 first round selection to the Washington Capitals last offseason to acquire young goaltender Semyon Varlamov, the Colorado Avalanche enjoyed a quiet first night of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. They have finally made their first selection of this draft on Day Two, electing to draft forward Mitchell Heard with the 41st overall selection.

Heard, 20, has played left wing with the OHL Plymouth Whalers for the last three seasons and finished with 57 points in 57 minutes last season. An older selection in this draft, it appears that Colorado has gone off the traditional draft board and selected a player with some size and physicality. Heard had 178 penalty minutes the past two seasons in the OHL, second on the Plymouth roster.

Colorado will select again in the third round, barring a trade.

For more coverage, visit our Avalanche blog Mile High Hockey. For coverage of the entire NHL Draft, visit SB Nation NHL.

NHL Draft Day 2 2012: Start Time, TV Schedule, Results And More

The Colorado Avalanche were quiet on the first day of the 2012 NHL Draft, thanks to last July's trade in which the Avs swapped their first round pick for goalie Sebastien Varlamov. But Colorado's front office will have their chance to get in on the action on Saturday's second day when they pick five times across Round 2-7.

The Avs will select at No. 11 in each respective round, aside from the fourth round, when they also don't have a pick. That fourth round pick when to the Phoenix Coyotes last summer when Colorado acquired center Daniel Winnik. Winnik, of course, was traded at this year's deadline to the San Jose Sharks for forward Jamie McGinn and two prospects.

Here are the picks the Avalanche have:

Round 2, No. 41 overall
Round 3, No. 72 overall
Round 5, No. 132 overall
Round 6, No. 162 overall
Round 7, No. 192 overall

Date/time: Saturday, June 23; 8 a.m. MT

TV: NHL Network

Radio: Sirius XM Radio

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more on the Avalanche, visit Mile High Hockey. Head over to SB Nation NHL for more news and notes throughout the offseason.

2012 NHL Draft Rumors: Avalanche Not Expected To Take Goaltender At No. 41

Although the Colorado Avalanche do not hold a first-round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, they will certainly be watching how the landscape develops on Friday night during Round 1 (Friday, 5:00 p.m. MT) and preparing for Rounds 2-7 on Saturday. The Avs hold five picks in the draft -- Nos. 41, 72, 132, 162 and 192 -- and chief scout Rick Pracey told Adrian Dater of the Denver Post that a quality player could easily slide to No. 41 this year:

"It's one of those situations where, maybe at 41, you're sitting back and there's a little bit of excitement saying 'OK, well, if they're having so much trouble at the top trying to figure out this thing, what type of players might fall through?' " Pracey said. "I don't think it really changes anything in terms of the way we do our job. And again, you have to be prepared for everything that comes our way. So we've been through the process. We've looked at the top kids. But for us, we're at 41 and we think there's going to be a player there."

Dater says Colorado is unlikely to select a goalie at No. 41 unless a top-rated prospect unexpectedly slides, as team likes Semyon Varlamov in net for now and feels good about the future with Calvin Pickard, Sami Aittokallio, Kent Patterson and Kieran Millan in their system.

For more on the Avalanche, visit Mile High Hockey. Head over to SB Nation NHL for more news and notes throughout the offseason.

NHL Draft: Start Time, TV Schedule, Results And More

The 2012 NHL Draft gets underway Friday evening at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa., but the Colorado Avalanche are not scheduled to participate on Friday. The Avalanche do not have a first round pick this year, and their first selection does not come until the second round at No. 41 overall.

The only way that the Avalanche will be making a pick on Friday is if they move back into the first round via a trade, and so far there has been no indication made publicly by the team that they are going to make any moves.

Date/time: Friday, June 22; 5 p.m. MT

TV: NBC Sports Network

Radio: Sirius XM Radio

First round order:

1. Edmonton Oilers
2. Columbus Blue Jackets
3. Montreal Canadiens
4. New York Islanders
5. Toronto Maple Leafs
6. Anaheim Ducks
7. Minnesota Wild
8. Carolina Hurricanes
9. Winnipeg Jets
10. Tampa Bay Lightning
11. Washington Capitals (from Colorado Avalanche)
12. Buffalo Sabres
13. Dallas Stars
14. Calgary Flames
15. Ottawa Senators
16. Washington Capitals
17. San Jose Sharks
18. Chicago Blackhawks
19. Tampa Bay Lightning (from Detroit Red Wings)
20. Philadelphia Flyers
21. Buffalo Sabres (from Nashville Predators)
22. Pittsburgh Penguins
23. Florida Panthers
24. Boston Bruins
25. St. Louis Blues
26. Vancouver Canucks
27. Phoenix Coyotes
28. New York Rangers
29. New Jersey Devils
30. Los Angeles Kings

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more on the Avalanche, visit Mile High Hockey. Head over to SB Nation NHL for more news and notes throughout the offseason.

2012 NHL Draft: Adding Defensemen Could Be Priority For Avalanche

The 2012 NHL Draft gets started on Friday night and continues through Saturday. The Colorado Avalanche don't have a first round selection this year, so they won't make their first pick until Saturday.

Over at NHL.com, John Kreiser is assessing each franchise's needs heading into the draft, and this is what he has to say about the Avalanche:

Biggest need: The biggest need is a top-four defenseman who can generate some offense, something they are unlikely to find without a first-round pick. With just 11 players under contract, Sherman will have to deal with a host of restricted free agents while he tries to fill in the gaps with some veterans to help his young talent blend into a winning team.

Related: 2012 NHL Draft: Players From The University Of Denver And Colorado College Prepare For Draft Weekend

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more on the Avalanche, visit Mile High Hockey. Head over to SB Nation NHL for more news and notes throughout the offseason.

2012 NHL Draft: Players From The University Of Denver And Colorado College Prepare For Draft Weekend

The 2012 NHL Draft begins on Friday night, and there are several players from the University of Denver and Colorado College who are hoping to hear their names called at some point this weekend. DU has two players -- Quentin Shore and Dakota Mermis -- who are ranked in the top 100 among North American skaters.

DU incoming freshmen Quentin Shore and Dakota Mermis are ranked 80th and 84th, respectively, among North American skaters. Shore, a center, is the brother of former DU standout Drew Shore and junior-to-be center Nick Shore, and Mermis, a defenseman, is the younger brother of junior-to-be wing Jarrod Mermis.

Related: 2012 NHL Draft: Washington Capitals Take Colorado Avalanche 2nd Round Pick This Year To Complete Semyon Varlamov Trade

Colorado College also has an incoming freshman ranked in the top 100.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. Head over to SB Nation NHL for more news and notes throughout the offseason.

2012 NHL Draft: Washington Capitals Take Colorado Avalanche 2nd Round Pick This Year To Complete Semyon Varlamov Trade

The Colorado Avalanche will have five selections in the upcoming 2012 NHL Draft, but they lost first- and second-round picks to the Washington Capitals in the Semyon Varlamov trade.