The Colorado Avalanche's Top 5 Biggest Draft Busts

Every team has their drafts that they would love to do over, and picks they wish they would have stayed away from. Because in the years following, it is always made clear, in hindsight, who should have been left off the scouts list. Instead, teams are left with a relatively unknown name in their list of prospects. Some of the most well-known draft busts are Patrik Stefan, Scott Scissons, Rick DiPietro, and Alexander Daigle.

Like every team, the Avalanche also have a nice little list of top drafted players who amounted to nothing. Here are the top 3:

Peter Ratchuk: Colorado drafted this promising defenseman in 1996, the Avs 2nd draft, in the 1^st round, 25^th overall. Ratchuk was seen as an offensive defenseman who scored 23 goals and 31 assists in his last year of junior (Hull Olympiques, QMJHL). The Avs chose not to sign Ratchuk to an entry level deal, making the young blueliner a free agent. Ratchuk went on to play 32 NHL games with the Florida Panthers, scoring 1 goal and an assist. He then toiled in the minor leagues and Europe before retiring in 2011.

Other players the Avs could have drafted: Zdeno Chara, Tom Poti, Toni Lydman, Pavel Kubina, Willie Mitchell, Tomas Kaberle, Fernando Pisani.

Mikhail Kuleshov: Hardcore Avs fans might remember Kuleshov. After being drafted 25^th overall in the 1999 entry draft, he went on to play in 3 games for Colorado in the 2003-04 season. He went 0-0-0, -1. So why is Kuleshov listed as an all-time bust? After being drafted in the 1^st round, in ’99, Kuleshov went on to play 31 games over 3 seasons in the Russia Super League. He scored a total of 2 points, all assists. The Avs then brought the young left winger over to North America, where he suited up for the old affiliate Hershey Bears (AHL). He never scored more than 8 goals in any of his 4 AHL seasons (19 total), and eventually went back to Mother Russia where he would never score another goal in the RSL. Kuleshov retired in 2006. In Soviet Russia, hockey plays you.

Other players the Avs could have drafted: Ryan Miller, Henrik Zetterberg, Martin Havlat, Mike Commodore, Jordan Leopold, Craig Anderson, Chris Kelly, Mike Comrie, Brian McGrattan, Ryan Malone, Georges Parros.

Kevin Grimes: Grimes was drafted 26^th overall in the 1997 Entry draft. Grimes was a tough, hardnosed defenseman that was capable of putting up some points. But the Avs wasted this first round pick on a player that never made it out of the ECHL or IHL. After junior, Grimes never scored more than 2 goals in a season, and after seeing his playing time and games dressed decrease, he retired in 2004 with only 460 pro games under his belt to go along with just 15 goals. After not being extended a contract by the Avs, Grimes re-entered the NHL draft, but was passed over. Talk about a fall from grace.

Other players the Avs could have drafted: Max Afinogenov, Peter Sykora, Joe Corvo, Jason Chimera, Kyle Calder, Mike York, Brian Campbell, Shawn Thornton, Andrew Ference, Kristian Huselius. 

We expect a thank you card from his mom for writing the first hockey story on him in 10 years. You're welcome. 

(This hockey card is pretty much worthless)

Vaclav Nedorost: Nedorost was drafted 14^th overall in the 2000 draft. Nedorost was a promising young Czech forward who was capable of tearing it up on the score sheet, with blazing speed and soft hands. Nedorost played a total of 67 games for the Avs scoring 6 goals and 7 assists before being traded to the Panthers for Peter Worrell and a draft pick. Nedorost would continue his NHL career another 32 games and 7 points before a brief stint with San Antonio (AHL) and an eventual exile back to the Czech league. He is currently good for about 15 goals a year in the KHL, so based on KHL standards he is most likely making eleventy billion dollars.

Other players the Avs could have drafted: Brooks Orpik, Anton Volchenkov, Justin Williams, Brad Boyes, Nik Kronwall, Tomas Kopecky, Ilya Bryzalov, Jared Stoll, Paul Martin, Henrik Lundqvist.

Jonas Johansson: Johansson was another promising young forward that the Avs drafted in the 1^st round (28^th overall) who scored 18 goals for the Kamloops Blazers (WHL) and didn’t match that goal total at all in his career until he got a dream contract in the Italian league about 10 years later. Johansson bumped around the Avs minor league system before being shipped off to Washington with Bates Battaglia in exchange for Steve Konowalchuk. Wow did the Avs ever win that trade. Johansson played 1 NHL game and didn’t do anything in it at all.

Other players the Avs could have drafted: Tobias Stephan, Josh Harding, Matt Greene, Duncan Keith, Matt Stajan, Kiri Hudler, Frans Neilsen, Dennis Wideman.

Dishonourable Mentions: Nigel Williams (2006, 51^st),  Serge Soin (2000, 50^th) Graham Belak (1997, 53^rd) Yuri Babenko (1996, 51^st)