Who should the Avs take at No. 4? A longtime scout’s answer might surprise you

I want to welcome in the analysis and opinion of a longtime major junior amateur hockey scout named Simon Boisvert, whose work will appear at times with Colorado Hockey Now. Here, he recommends who the Colorado Avalanche should choose with their 4th and 16th overall first-round draft picks on Friday in Vancouver.

By Simon Boisvert, Special to Colorado Hockey Now – The 2019 NHL draft is an important one for the Avalanche. Barring some misfortune, it should be a while before they get another top-5 pick.

In order to get to the next level, Colorado needs another skilled forward, and, luckily, this draft is top-heavy in terms of quality forwards.

However, this is where it gets tricky. Joe Sakic and chief scout Alan Hepple could face a dilemma: if Chicago picks a forward (presumably Alex Turcotte), should they go for Bowen Byram, the only standout defenseman in the draft, or choose among a plethora of forwards available, who, as good as they are, might not end up having the same impact as Byram?