Busy day ahead for Avalanche
Colorado owns 6 of first 38 picks in amateur draft
Posted: Friday June 26, 1998 03:34 PM
DENVER (AP) -- The Colorado Avalanche have
given chief scout Dave Draper an excellent chance to leave a legacy.
After 7 1/2 years with the Avalanche, Draper will retire following
Saturday's NHL Draft in Buffalo. His final advice will be vital as Colorado
decides what to do with its four first-round draft picks.
Through a bevy of trades dating to 1996, the Avalanche have the 12th, 17th,
19th and 20th picks in the first round and Nos. 28 and 38 in the second
round. "The talent at the top of the first round, in particular
the first five picks, is as good as any draft," Draper said. "There's also
some possibility there could be some movement in the ranking of those
players. That's going to help us to really land a key player at No. 12."
Colorado's collection of draft picks started to take shape when
the Avalanche traded goaltender Stephane Fiset to
Los Angeles for Eric
Lacroix on June 20, 1996. Trades with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks followed in
the next 17 months as Colorado traded away disgruntled left wing Chris Simon and
popular center Mike
Ricci. "The conclusion of that is if you look at the worst
scenario we have six picks within the first 38," Avalanche general manager
Pierre Lacroix said. "Statistically, we should have at least two or three
good players in our organization for many years to come if we do it the way
we should do it." With an abundance of draft picks, trade talks
are inevitable. Lacroix said he has talked to nearly every NHL team in the
past week -- including Tampa Bay, which holds the No. 1 pick -- and he did
not rule out the possibility of trading up or down in the draft.
"They're great assets, and when we're down to the last few hours in
Buffalo, it's definite we're going to have a lot of calls from other teams
that want to move up," Lacroix said. The consensus No. 1 pick
in this year's draft is Vincent Lecavalier, a center from he Quebec Major
Junior Hockey League who is tabbed as the "next Mario Lemieux."
Barring a trade, Lecavalier will not wear a Colorado uniform on stage
Saturday, so Draper and the Avalanche will look for the best player
available, regardless of position. "You're always looking to
fill certain voids down the road in the organization," said Draper, who is
retiring to spend more time with his family. "We're looking for skill, and
we're also looking for characteristics. Those are very important to be
successful at the NHL level."
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
|
