Colorado Avalanche: David Jones Proving To Be Late-Round Gem

Not many players drafted in the ninth round end up becoming top line forwards, but David Jones of the Avalanche is a rare exception.

In fact, Jones was almost never drafted; he was taken 288th overall out of 292 drafted players in the 2003 Entry Draft. But Avalanche brass saw something in him, and decided to use their late round Hail Mary pick on him.

Right now, he's making them look like geniuses.

Originally an injury call up late in the 2008 season, the 25-year-old Jones has managed to stick in the Avalanche line-up due to his large frame and straight away speed.

But he's beginning to show he also has some scoring touch, compiling seven goals (two short-handed) and 11 points through 18 games this season. He's recently been bumped up to the top line with Paul Stastny and Wojtek Wolski as a result of his strong play.

He's also been one of the Avalanche's biggest hitters, second most among Avalanche forwards. Even though he throws his body around, he's only racked up two penalty minutes all season, and only 18 in his 85 career games.

This is the kind of player you rebuild with.

Too often in recent memory the Avalanche have gone after one dimensional forwards; players who might score you 20 goals, but will cost you 30 because they don't back check (hello, Tyler Arnason).

Players like Jones, T.J. Galiardi, and Ryan O'Reilly now fill that role, and the Avalanche are first in the division largely due to their willingness to hustle in all three zones of the ice.

If there's one complaint to be made about Jones, it's that he's not being fully utilized.

His 17:09 average ice time per game ranks him fourth among Avalanche forwards, but he's only averaging a measly 15 seconds of power play time per game.

Despite leading the Avalanche with a 25 percent shooting percentage, Joe Sacco has chosen to give Jones less average power play ice time than both Scott Hannan and Adam Foote, even though 21st ranked Avalanche power play continues to be unsuccessful.

I'll never understand what Sacco's thought process is, but that's why I'm not the coach.