The Colorado Avalanche made their third-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft by landing Beckett Hamilton out of the WHL.
The 18-year-old is a bit of an undersized forward at 5’11” and 170 pounds. He seems more like a Gavin Brindley-type player.
However, the biggest upside with Hamilton is his versatility. Elite Prospects described him as adaptable to any situation.
“A Swiss Army knife, Hamilton adapts his game to the situation. Away from the puck, he’s constantly battling opponents and overwhelming them with his closing speed.”
That is a very encouraging description. In fact, the Avalanche will need someone like Hamilton, especially after trading another Swiss Army Knife, Ross Colton.
While Hamilton won’t be making the NHL anytime soon, he’s likely to return to the WHL for one more season as an overager. He wouldn’t be eligible to play in the AHL next season. So, it would either be the WHL or the NCAA.
Thus far, it doesn’t seem like Hamilton has committed to any league for next season. If he does return to the WHL, he will be looking to build on the 24 goals and 62 points he scored in 67 games.
Those numbers look fantastic, especially for a player who might not have the biggest impact on the lineup at the NHL level.
This could be one of those sneaky picks for the Avalanche. Since the lineup will remain top-heavy for the foreseeable future, Hamilton could eventually replace guys like Joel Kiviranta or Logan O’Connor in the bottom six.
Hamilton’s ceiling, however, could be much like Brindley's. A smaller forward who uses speed and versatility to make opponents look silly. In fact, he could be the sort of player current Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis once was.
St. Louis didn’t become an NHL star due to size and power. He became a high-end scorer thanks to his speed, skill, and hockey sense.
That’s the sort of guy the Avalanche could have just landed in the third round.
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