3 Colorado Avalanche needs in the 2024 NHL Draft

#2 spot the Colorado Avalanche need to address in the 2024 NHL Draft: A goal-scoring forward

Okay, this one might seem extra obvious, as you want all of your forwards to provide goals. The problem isn’t the top guys. Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Jonathan Drouin, Valeri Nichushkin and Casey Mittelstadt were their top-five scorers last season in terms of forwards.

Two of those guys might not be back: Mittelstadt could sign an offer sheet the Avalanche may not want to match, and Nichushkin will miss six months due to a suspension, which bleeds into the 2024-25 season. Again, while these drafted players may not see the ice as rookies, the Avalanche need to prepare as if they have holes to fill.

Despite the Avalanche surrendering too many four-goal games, they led the league in goals per game at 3.68. They were second in the league in power-play goals with 68. The problem is the future. I’m not saying these draft picks are going to have to come in day 1. We just don’t know what the colorado Avalanche are going to look like several years down the road.

Ideally, some of the Colorado Eagles prospects come up in 2024-25 and make some sort of impact. There are several that I’m eager to see in an Avalanche sweater: Nikolai Kovalenko and Riley Tufte come to mind in terms of forwards. You also have a defensemen who can make an offensive impact in Sam Malinski.