"Is Trading Out of the First Round of the NHL Draft a Smart Move for the Avalanche?"

The Colorado Avalanche entered Friday's NHL draft with limited draft picks due to previous trades made in their quest for the Stanley Cup. Chris MacFarland took steps to address this issue during the first round of the draft held at The Sphere in Las Vegas. The Avs' general manager orchestrated a trade with the Utah Hockey Club, turning the No. 24 pick into three selections. In exchange for No. 24, Colorado received pick Nos. 38 and 71 in the 2024 draft, along with a second-round pick in the 2025 draft. MacFarland expressed satisfaction with the deal, stating, "We believed it was a valuable move, dropping down 14 spots to acquire a second and a third-round pick this year, as well as a second-round pick next year. This was especially important as we did not possess a first, second, or third-round pick for the following year."

The Avs exchanged their 2024 second- and third-round picks to acquire Artturi Lehkonen and Darcy Kuemper, who were important members of the 2022 Stanley Cup championship team. Additionally, they traded their 2025 first-round pick in a two-part deal to bring in Casey Mittelstadt and Sean Walker, while also removing Ryan Johansen's $4 million cap hit for the upcoming season. Furthermore, they have also traded their 2025 second- and third-round picks in exchange for Lars Eller and Yakov Trenin.

“I think when you’re in win-now mode, it is a fine line,” MacFarland said. “You’re looking for entry-level players or low (cap hit) players to supplement your star power. One of the key ways to entry-level players is through the draft and often high in the draft. … When you’re moving those picks, you’ve really got to hit on a late pick or a college free agent.”

Colorado will receive the New York Rangers’ second-rounder in the 2025 draft as part of this deal with Utah. The Utah Hockey Club began the day with 20 selections in the first three rounds over the next three drafts, so it sent three of them to Colorado to move up and select Cole Beaudoin, a center from the Barrie Colts in the OHL.

McFarland and the Avs had a busy 2023 NHL draft as well, trading for centers Ryan Johansen and Ross Colton while landing center Calum Ritchie (No. 27 pick) and defensemen Mikhail Gulyayev (No. 31), who are clearly the top two prospects in the organization.

Beyond those two and former University of Denver defenseman Sean Behrens, the Avs have one of the thinnest collections of prospects in the league. This deal could infuse multiple players who would slot in with Behrens as the next tier of prospects for the club behind Ritchie and Gulyayev. Or it could provide the club with more assets to use in trades to immediately improve the NHL roster.

Rounds two through seven of the 2024 NHL draft are on Saturday morning in Las Vegas. The Avs now have pick Nos. 38, 71, and 121 in rounds two through four, plus five selections in the final three rounds.

“We like the clusters (of prospects) that we’ve got going,” MacFarland said. “There were some guys that we certainly liked there. It’s pick No. 24. There are some good hockey players. But there’s still a lot of good players on the board, so hopefully we’ll find one at No. 38.”