The Colorado Avalanche were one of the most active teams at the NHL trade deadline. They pulled off the biggest deal of the deadline season, landing one of the most-coveted players on the market.
That situation could have come at the expense of roster players or high-end prospects. But it didn’t cost the Avalanche any significant pieces to get the deals across the line.
However, the Avs gutted their draft capital in the process. That’s all right because the team moving forward will be one of the deepest the NHL has ever seen.
Let’s take a quick look at the deals Colorado made at the deadline.
- The Avalanche kicked things off by sending Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-rounder for Brett Kulak.
- Then, it was a 2027 fifth-rounder for Nick Blankenburg.
- The first big deal of the deadline, in which the Avs sent a 2027 first and a 2026 fifth for Nic Roy.
- The last trade, the biggest one of all, was Victor Olofsson, Max Curran, a 2028 1st and a 2027 second for Nazem Kadri.
All told, the Avalanche gave up two roster players in Olofsson and Girard, with the only prospect being Curran.
The roster players, without offending anyone, were redundant. The Avalanche had two similar blueliners in Samuel Girard and Sam Malinski. So, the Avalanche kept the cheaper Malinski.
Olofsson was on a one-year deal. So, it made sense to jettison him as an impending UFA.
As for Curran, he’s an intriguing prospect. This one could come back to bite the Avalanche down the road. But Curran isn’t a sure thing, and, well, that’s the price teams have to pay to really compete for the Stanley Cup.
Now, let’s focus on the draft picks.
Avalanche gutted draft capital, but retained some pieces
As of now, the Avalanche don’t have a first-round pick until 2029. Their 2026 pick ended up going to St. Louis in the Brayden Schenn deal the New York Islanders pulled off. The 2027 pick now belongs to the Toronto Maple Leafs, with the 2028 first-rounder now in the Calgary Flames’ possession.
That leaves the Avalanche with just one second-rounder in the next three drafts (2027), and one third-rounder (2028).
But there is a bit of a silver lining. The Avalanche have eight picks in the 2026 NHL Draft. That’s two fourths, two fifths, and four sevenths. They’re not the sexiest picks. But solid scouting and a good eye for talent could yield several useful pieces in the coming years.
That will be crucial as the Avs will need to retool their roster with younger pieces. Later-round picks can offer solid depth players with the occasional gem.
That’s why this upcoming draft will be one of the most important for the Avalanche in recent history. Despite gutting the club’s draft capital, there’s a chance Colorado can still find some value where others may overlook.