Colorado Avalanche: Prospect Joey Hishon a Savvy Pick

"That's off the board."

The first words out of TSN analyst Bob McKenzie's mouth after the Colorado Avalanche used the 17th overall pick in the 2010 NHL draft on forward Joey Hishon of the OHL's Owen Sound Attack, whom TSN had ranked 46th.

Hishon had been rated a top-10 prospect at the end of 2009, but an injury-plagued 2009-2010 season saw the 5'10", 190-pound forward play only 36 games and score only 40 points.

Oh, how the Avs have made out like bandits.

Hishon hasn't been completely healthy through the 2010-2011 season—he's missed nine games due to injury and six due to suspension—but in the 47 games he has played, Hishon has 35 goals and 80 points.

One of the most dynamic players in the CHL, Hishon's 80 points ranks 19th in OHL scoring. However, he trails 10th-place Peter Holland of the Guelph Storm by only six points despite playing 17 fewer games.

Hishon, who will be 20 in October, is a small, crafty forward with great speed and hands. In a March, 2011 poll of OHL Western Conference coaches, Hishon finished first in the categories of best stick handler and best playmaker, while finishing third in the smartest player category.

Being that this is his fourth season in the OHL, there's a high possibility that Hishon makes the Colorado Avalanche roster in training camp 2011.

In 211 career OHL games, Hishon has 108 goals and 248 points.