The Colorado Avalanche continued their draft haul at the top of sixth round, using the 156th overall selection on Penn State forward Denis Smirnov.
Smirnov is listed at 5’10”, 185 pounds and was a third-year draft eligible player. After spending three full seasons in the USHL, Smirnov found himself as a freshman on last season’s surprising Penn State hockey team, where he tallied 47 points (19 g, 28 a) in 39 games played. His performance was good enough to be rewarded with a spot on the B1G All-Rookie Team.
The Black Book had this to say about Smirnov:
Smirnov is a third-year draft eligible player that has had scoring success in the USHL and then a very productive freshman season at Penn State (Big 10) although his size has mostly likely has hindered his name from being called on draft day.