NEW YORK — When the Montreal Canadiens passed through Denver the other day, I was reminded that the blockbuster Shea Weber-for-P.K. Subban trade last summer underscored that cornerstone defensemen don’t have to come from the first round of the NHL draft.
The Nashville Predators claimed Weber in the second round, at No. 49, in 2003.
The Canadiens took Subban in the second round, at No. 43, in 2007.
If it’s any consolation, barring a trade, the Avs couldn’t have jumped in and claimed Weber in that draft. Colorado didn’t have a first-round pick in 2003 as part of the February 2001 Rob Blake trade with Los Angeles, and the Avalanche’s top choice in that draft was defenseman David Liffiton, near the end of the second round, at No.