Aarif Deen
Given the number of draft picks the Colorado Avalanche have traded in recent years, you’d probably be surprised to learn that they hold nine selections in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft.
The thing is, four of them are in the seventh round. And the Avs aren’t scheduled to pick until midway through the third round at No. 74 overall.
The only reason Colorado has that pick is a trade earlier in the week that sent Ross Colton and Isak Posch to the Nashville Predators. The Avs reclaimed their previously traded 2027 third-round pick in that deal, along with Nashville’s third this season.
After that, the Avs have two late fourth-round picks and two picks in the fifth round before selecting a whopping four times in the seventh round. Colorado has four of the final 11 picks in the draft.
They compiled those draft picks over the years in separate deals. Along with their own pick — No. 222 overall out of 224, they also have seventh round picks that initially belonged to the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Ottawa Senators.
Their fifth-round picks initially belonged to Boston and Philadelphia. In the fourth round, they’re slated to pick with their own pick and Carolina’s, and of course, the third-rounder is the one they got from Nashville. Only two of the nine picks are the Avalanche’s own, meaning they have traded the other five over the years.
The first round is scheduled for Friday, June 26th, and rounds 2-7 are set for the following day. This is the second year in a row that the NHL is moving to a decentralized draft, meaning the Avalanche’s front office will set up its war room at Ball Arena.
All of their selections in the upcoming draft are below. Since they are all after the first round, they are slated for selection on Saturday.
No. 74 (from NSH)
No. 126
No. 128 (from CAR)
No. 149 (from PHI)
No. 152 (from BOS)
No. 195 (from NYR via NSH)
No. 214 (from PIT)
No. 215 (from OTT)
No. 222