Avalanche’s Draft Strategy: Full Picks for 2026 NHL Entry Draft in Buffalo

As the excitement builds for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft in Buffalo, the Colorado Avalanche are poised to make a strategic impact with their selection of nine draft picks. This year’s draft marks a significant return to Buffalo, a city that last hosted the event in 2016, and the Avalanche are set to make their moves starting on the second day of the draft.

While the Avalanche won’t be selecting until the third round, they have positioned themselves well with a variety of picks. Notably, the third-round selection was acquired through the recent trade of Ross Colton to the Nashville Predators, which also included a third-round pick for the following year. This strategic maneuver has added depth to their draft capital.

The Avalanche’s selections include the following: their own pick at #126, a pick at #128 acquired via the Carolina Hurricanes in the Martin Necas trade, and a #149 pick obtained from the Philadelphia Flyers in the Sean Walker trade. Additionally, they hold the #152 pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets as part of the Charlie Coyle trade.

Further enhancing their draft prospects, the Avalanche possess the #195 pick via the New York Rangers stemming from the Juuso Parssinen trade, a #214 pick obtained from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Ilya Solovyov trade, and a #215 pick from the Ottawa Senators in the Kevin Mandolese trade. Finally, they have their own #222 pick, rounding out a diverse array of choices that could shape the team’s future.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.