The Colorado Avalanche once again head into this year's NHL Draft with very few early-round picks. While the Avs have more picks than in other years, Colorado doesn’t get to pick until the fourth round.
As it stands, the Avalanche hold picks at 126, 128, 149, 152, 195, 215, and 222. Of those eight picks, only two originally belong to the Avs.
That situation means that the Avalanche will have to find late-round gems. Otherwise, Colorado’s participation in the 2026 NHL Draft could just be an exercise in futility.
But given the way the Avalanche have run their draft efforts, there’s reason to believe that they could find some interesting picks in the later rounds.
For instance, the Avs found Max Curran in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Draft. Colorado plucked the 19-year-old with the 161st pick. He’s turned out well enough that he became a part of the Nazem Kadri trade with the Calgary Flames.
In that same draft, the Avs found Christian Humphreys at #215 and Nikita Prishchepov at #217. Neither of those players figures to become a superstar in the NHL, but they are solid prospects who could at least help the Colorado Eagles remain competitive.
If we go a little further back, the Avs found Taylor Makar in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL Draft. Similarly, Colorado got Trent Miner with the 202nd pick in 2019.
Yes, there have been numerous misses for Colorado in the later rounds. But finding about a half-dozen players in the seventh round who could actually play in the NHL is no easy task. And given how Colorado’s draft capital is shaping up over the next couple of seasons, the Avs will need to find plenty of late-round gems.
Avalanche won’t have much to work with the next couple of drafts
Looking ahead to the 2027 and 2028 drafts, the Avs won’t have much to work with. Next year, the Avs hold a second-round pick, two in the fourth round, and one in the fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds.
In 2028, Colorado has one pick in each of rounds 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
That’s not much draft capital to work with, that is, assuming the Avalanche keep all of their picks. But it’s fair to assume that some of those picks could be on the move depending on the deals that could happen.
Nevertheless, that’s the price that Stanley Cup contenders pay for making crucial additions. For example, this year’s first-rounder went to the New York Islanders in the Brock Nelson trade. That pick changed hands and went to the St. Louis Blues in the Bryden Schenn trade at this year’s trade deadline.
Next year’s first-rounder went to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Nic Roy trade. It’s worth pointing out that it’s a top-10 protected pick. If it does become a top-10 pick, it slides to 2028. However, that 2028 pick was pledged to the Calgary Flames in the Kadri deal at this year’s trade deadline.
As you can see, the Avalanche’s first-rounders from 2026 to 2028 turned into Brock Nelson, Nic Roy, and Nazem Kadri. Unless one of those picks turns into a future Hall of Famer, we can say that the Avalanche got their money’s worth.
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