Aarif Deen
The Colorado Avalanche made nine selections at the 2026 NHL Draft on Saturday, some of which were acquired in weeks leading up to it.
In total, the Avs selected four defensemen, three forwards, and two goaltenders. Their first two selections were both forwards in Egor Shilov and Beckett Hamilton.
Shilov was taken No. 43 overall in the second round with the pick the Avs acquired from Columbus for Valeri Nichushkin. Hamilton was selected in the third round, using one of the picks they received for Ross Colton’s trade to Nashville.
The 126th overall pick was the first and only of Colorado’s own that the team selected in 2026, and it was used on goaltender Tobias Tvrznik in the fourth round. Tvrznik played for the WHL’s Wenatchee Wild in 2025-26 and sported a 16-18-4 record, a .913 save percentage, a 3.10 goals against average and one shutout over 39 games.
Two picks later, the Avalanche selected defenseman Axel Elofsson. The 18-year-old spent last season with the Swedish Jr. League, racking up 41 points in 32 games. He also made his professional debut and suited up in six SHL games for Orebro.
In the fifth round, the Avalanche traded picks No. 149 and 222 to New Jersey for No. 140, and took defenseman Cole Tuminaro from the USHL’s Chicago Steel. Tuminaro, 19, ranked 96th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound defenseman has committed to Cornell University for 2026-27.
With the 152nd overall selection, Colorado picked defenseman Teddy Lechner.
In the seventh round, the Avs selected forward Shawn Carrier, defenseman Ondrej Ruml, and goalie Alexandre Raymond.
In total, the nine picks matched the most the Avalanche have ever selected in an NHL draft since the seven-round format began in 2005.