As it stands, Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic might not have much happening on Day 1 of the 2026 NHL Draft.
Colorado doesn’t have a first-round pick in this year’s draft and won’t pick until Day 2, in the third round at #74. But instead of kicking back and watching the rest of the league go nuts on Day 1, Sakic might actually be hanging around in the background somewhere, waiting to see what unfolds.
Mainly, the Avalanche will be looking to see what, if any, draft-day trades happen. There could be some trades happening in the run-up to the draft. But on draft day, anything can happen. And that’s why Sakic should be ready in case anything should happen.
While Colorado won’t like be involved in any massive trades, there’s always the possibility that something might slip through the cracks, allowing the Avalanche to pounce. For example, a team might be willing to move a second-round pick for a modest price.
Also, there might be another team out there looking to move a depth piece, allowing the Avalanche to use their draft capital to acquire it.
This conversation isn’t so much an exercise in predicting what could actually happen. It’s more of an exercise in determining just how active the Avalanche could really be despite not having very many picks.
In the coming days, we’ll be looking at what pieces could be available for the Avalanche in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th rounds, should Sakic just go ahead and use them to restock the organization’s prospect pipeline.
It’s worth pointing out that this would be a good path to take, considering that Colorado, as a perennial playoff contender, hasn’t had very many picks to work with over the last few years.
Day 1 might not be so crazy, but the Avalanche should certainly be very busy, especially in the seventh round, where the club holds four picks.
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