Insider Buzz: This is who the Colorado Avalanche can trade to make a splash at the NHL Draft this summer
Photo credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
The Colorado Avalanche are in desperate need of draft picks, but securing them would require giving up some players in return.
The Avs won't pick until the fourth round in each of the next two NHL Drafts, having traded away earlier selections in pursuit of a Stanley Cup run. However, that strategy has yet to pay off, as the Stars knocked them out of the playoffs this year.
This is who the Colorado Avalanche might trade to make a splash at the NHL Draft.
Graham Tiedtke from Mile High Sticking writes that the absence of a first-round pick this year stings for Avalanche fans. Colorado sent Ryan Johansen and their first-rounder to the Flyers in exchange for defenseman Sean Walker and a 2026 fifth-round pick. The first-round pick was essentially the price of unloading Johansen's contract, as Philadelphia had no intention of keeping him, it was purely a salary cap dump.
"Their 2026 first round pick was traded alongside Calum Ritchie (a first round prospect), Oliver Kylington, and a 2028 third round pick for Brock Nelson and William Dufour. This one hurts more because they included a top-pick player and a future first round pick for a guy who is rumoured to leave this offseason as well as a guy who won't even see the ice in the NHL." -Tiedtke
While draft pick aren't guaranteed to make the jump to the NHL, they have a much higher chance of contributing at the AHL level and strengthening a team's development pipeline. The Avalanche have a few potential moves at their disposal that could free up a substantial amount of cap space moving forward.
"The first idea is one that hurts more than the alternative. It's to trade Ross Colton, a solid player who was part of the team's Roaring 20s line, which also consisted of Logan O'Connor and Miles Wood." -Tiedtke
Added to the team in 2023, Colton has appeared in 141 of 164 games over the past two seasons, tallying 33 goals and 36 assists during his tenure with the Avalanche.
"Colton is on schedule to hit free agency in 2026-27, and carries a cap hit of $4 million this year. Any team who takes him would likely want to sign him to an extension, especially if they surrender something like a mid-round pick for him. A team might also be willing to include a prospect in their attempt to outbid other teams for Colton. This, obviously, is the ideal outcome in a trade of this particular player." -Tiedtke
Josh Manson is another name that comes up for the Avalanche. A team interested in acquiring the 33-year-old defenseman might only need to part with a fourth or fifth-round pick.
While Manson is a solid seond-pair defenseman and brings valuable experience, his age beyond 30 reduces his trade value. Still, if the Avalanche are mainly looking to gain draft capital to bolster their AHL roster, this move could be logical.
| POLL | ||
MAI 31 | 30 ANSWERS Insider Buzz: This is who the Colorado Avalanche can trade to make a splash at the NHL Draft this summer Do you think the Avalanche will trade for draft picks before this summer's NHL Entry Draft? | ||
| yes | 13 | 43.3 % |
| no | 17 | 56.7 % |
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