The Colorado Avalanche have eight picks in the 2018 NHL Draft, with their first coming at #16 overall. The plan is to choose the best player available at that position.
Of course, beyond the top-10, it’s difficult to say who is the best player available. All players selected, say, 11 to 31 will have some deficit to their game but with upside that far outweighs it. In other words, you expect these players to require some development time.
Well, the Avalanche may choose the best player available within their need structure. So, while it’s pretty true they’re stocked in the small, puck-moving defenseman area, perhaps they’ll choose a bruising two-way guy with hockey smarts.