Years of solid performances at the NHL level have left the Avalanche in the challenging position of having to select later in the rounds, but they've shown a deft ability in obtaining talented prospects despite their draft positioning.

Last season marked the first draft for GM Francois Giguere who filled some mighty large shoes at the draft table for the departing Pierre Lacroix. What we saw last season was a willingness to draft based on skill rather than need, as Chris Stewart was selected with their first-round pick despite of a surplus of forwards in the organization. And Montgomery's selection shows that Giguere may have learned a thing or two about mining the later rounds for hidden games - a hallmark of the Lacroix draft strategy.