1. Gabriel Landeskog (18) LW – Drafted #2 in 2011
Was their any doubt Landeskog would be number one on this list? The 2011 second overall pick will most likely make the Avalanche out of training camp thanks to his tremendous work ethic. While the young winger has enough talent to play on a line with Matt Duchene, it is his power forward game that will allow him to emerge as one of the brightest rookie stars in 2011-12.
2. Duncan Siemens (18) D – Drafted #11 in 2011
The #11 pick in this year’s draft, Seimens plays a sound two-way game. He is reasonably big at 6’3”, 200lbs and doesn’t shy away from the physical aspect of the game. For the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades last year, he put up 43 points in 72 games.
3. Calvin Pickard (19) G – Drafted #49 in 2010
As Colorado’s goalie of the future, Pickard just earned a few more years to develop with the recent acquisitions of goalies Semyon Varlamov and J.S. Giguere. He’s faired decently well for the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds in 2010-11 going 27-33 with a 3.36 Goals Against Average and .916 Save Percentage. While those numbers may not show his potential as an elite NHL goalie, he has been handling a heavy workload this season playing 68 games.
4. Stefan Elliot (20) D – Drafted #49 in 2009
While Elliot is good in his own zone, he really shines in the offensive end. Playing for the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades last year, Elliot scored 31 goals and 81 points in 71 games.
5. Joey Hishon (19) C – Drafted #17 in 2010
Hishon isn’t a bad prospect at all, but with Colorado’s incredible depth at center will Hishon will either have to switch to a wing or get used to less ice time. The young sniper had 37 goals and 87 points in 50 games for the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack. He is undersized at 5’10” 175 lbs and has concerns about his defensive play. Only 19, he still has time to refine his game.
6. Tyson Barrie (20) D – Drafted #64 in 2009
Barrie is pretty good defensively, but he really comes alive in the offensive zone. In the past two seasons for the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets, Barrie has scored 30 goals and 130 points in 117 games. With the trade of offensive defenseman John-Michael Liles to Toronto, Barrie could step in as early as this year and run the powerplay.
7. Cameron Gaunce (21) D – Drafted #50 in 2008
The young defenseman faired well in his 11 game stint with the Avalanche. Although he only scored one goal, Gaunce is projected as a solid two-way defenseman who can eventually play on the top two lines.
8. Troy Rutkowski (19) D – Drafted #137 in 2010
Rutkowski has potential to be a solid two-way defenseman in the NHL. He put up 47 points in 72 games last year for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. While he still needs a year or two of seasoning in the minors, he is turning into a great pick.
9. Kieran Millan (21) G – Drafted #124 in 2009
Like Pickard, Millan has potential to be a very good goalie in the NHL. Millan is a proven winner with Boston University, winning it all in 2009.
10. Ryan Stoa (24) C – Drafted #34 in 2005
Stoa is technically no longer a rookie, but has yet to establish himself in the NHL. He’s played 37 games with the Avalanche over the past two seasons and has only managed to score 4 goals and 7 points. He had a great career at the University of Minnesota, but hasn’t quite translated his success to the NHL yet.
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