The Colorado Avalanche have been watching the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft closely. That’s not because the Avs are actually picking. It’s because the club wants to see what division rivals are doing.
And one division rival that’s serious about contending next season is the St. Louis Blues. The Blues pulled off significant deals leading up to the draft. They unloaded the bloated contract of Jordan Kyrou, replacing him with a much younger and more promising player in Connor McMichael.
But it was the Blues’ actions on draft day that left plenty of fans in awe. The Blues moved two of their four first-round picks for Mason McTavish. The 23-year-old forward had been a trade target for months now.
Well, the Anaheim Ducks finally did, landing two of St. Louis’ first. McTavish will be a problem for the Avs now that he’s moved to the Central Division.
If this deal works out the way the Blues have intended, he should be a highly productive scoring center. That’s no bueno as Colorado will have to play St. Louis four times next season.
Make no mistake. The Blues will be a better team next season than they were this year. The organization walked away with McTavish and two high-end forward prospects. That’s great for their team, and not good for the rest of the division.
With Dallas and Minnesota pretty much sitting on their hands, it will be interesting to see if the balance of power actually begins to shift in the Central Division. The Avalanche should remain as the big kid on the block in the Central. But there might just be a new pretender looking to dethrone the Avs.
Don’t look now, but the games between Colorado and St. Louis next season could be highly entertaining ones. If anything, it’ll make for good, fun hockey we all love to watch, especially during the dog days of winter.
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