2015 NHL Draft: Buffalo trades Michigan's JT Compher to Colorado

On a trade-heavy NHL Draft day, Michigan junior JT Compher had his NHL rights traded from Buffalo to Colorado.

Compher's rights were part of a trade that sent Ryan O'Reilly and Jamie McGinn from the Avalanche to Buffalo for Compher, defenseman Nikita Zadorov, forward Mikhail Grigorenko and the 31st overall pick (2nd round) in the 2015 NHL Draft.

Compher, recently named Michigan's captain for the 2015-16 season,  had 24 points (12G-12A) in 34 games for the Wolverines, which came within a game of advancing to the NCAA Tournament. The 20 year-old is a native of Northbrook, Illinois. He played for Team USA in the 2015 World Junior Championship and would have played in the 2014 tournament if not for an ankle injury during camp.

SB Nation College Hockey has Compher as the 14th-best NHL prospect playing NCAA hockey.

Compher at times looks out of place in Michigan's run-and-gun offense and hasn't developed the same chemistry he had with some of Michigan's outgoing forwards from last season, leading to a decline in his points. But Compher can still affect a game even if he's not scoring. He's an incredibly fierce competitor that plays hard on both ends of the ice. He has the skating ability and awareness to play center at the next level, and could potentially be a solid offensive contributor.

Compher was the 35th overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft by the Sabres. He also has the historical footnote of being the first-ever player with Big Ten ties to be drafted.