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Colorado Avalanche: NHL May Hold a June Draft After All

By Nadia Archuleta

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 21: Bowen Byram reacts after being selected fourth overall by the Colorado Avalanche during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 21: Bowen Byram reacts after being selected fourth overall by the Colorado Avalanche during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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The Colorado Avalanche have six picks in the 2020 NHL Draft — and they may be making them in June before the season is over.

If the 2020 NHL Draft took place with the current standings, the Colorado Avalanche would have the following picks:

#29
#82
#122
#153
#169
#215

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Well, that may be exactly what they end up with. The NHL is talking about holding a draft in June just like they’d originally planned, though it’s likely to be a virtual one.

The NHL held a conference call with all the NHL general managers a few days ago. League officials floated out the idea of holding the draft before the current season had finished — if it is, indeed, going to finish.

The idea was met with mixed reviews from NHL officials, according the Pierre LeBrun’s article in The Athletic. He talked to officials from 25 different teams (no word on if one of them was from the Colorado Avalanche). Some liked the idea of selecting their players while their most recent play was still fresh in their minds. What’s more, it keeps the NHL in sports fans’ minds.

However, the push-back came about because of how limiting it can be to teams. For instance, the draft-day trade is legendary. Remember, that’s how we unloaded Ryan O’Reilly. Other teams like to use the draft day trade to alleviate cap space for the upcoming season.

What’s more, the potential is there that a team could win the draft lottery and pick in the top three… then go on to not only make the playoffs but actually win the Stanley Cup. Right now, the bubble teams are the Vancouver Canucks, Minnesota Wild, New York Islanders, and New York Rangers.

It’s unlikely, but not unheard of. The old adage is that, if you make it to the dance, anything can happen.

Hey, you could be a team that has a 48-point season — worst in the salary cap era — that then proceeds to “lose” the draft lottery and pick fourth-overall only to have the best odds at picking first-overall again and drop to fourth-overall again. Not that we’d know anything about that.

The NHL is holding out hope that they can complete the season in some manner and award the Stanley Cup. I hope so, too, but it may not happen. If the 2019-20 season is cancelled, then having held the draft at a reasonable time may have been the best call.

The article did end with this caveat:

"“When the NHL commissioner gets on a GM call and suggests an idea which is being considered, it’s normally a lot less about actually wanting to get feedback from the teams on it and more about warning them what is coming and to start wrapping their minds around it.”"

Ready or not, then, June draft it is.

Next. What a Virtual Draft Could Look Like. dark

The 2020 NHL Draft isn’t a particularly important one for the Colorado Avalanche. They don’t have any particularly juicy picks, and so they’ll just be selecting for depth. So, I don’t have a strong opinion about when they hold the draft.

What are your thoughts, Avs Nation?

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