Avalanche 2025 NHL draft tracker: Avs take UMass defenseman in third round

The Colorado Avalanche went back to a familiar place for its first selection in the 2025 NHL draft.

Colorado selected Francesco Dell’Elce, a defenseman from the University of Massachusetts, with the No. 77 pick in the third round Saturday. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 179 pounds, the left-shooting Dell’Elce had seven goals and 24 points in 40 games as a freshman at UMass this past season.

Dell’Elce was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team. This was the third year he was eligible for the draft. He turned 20 years old on Monday.

Two of the Avs’ three selections were overage prospects who had been passed over in drafts before. Colorado took multiple overage players a year ago as well, including goalie Ilya Nabokov in the second round and forward Nikita Prischepov in the seventh round.

“I think we’re at a place now where we view older players as players that can make an impact sooner,” Nick Pryor, the club’s director of amateur scouting, said. “(Dell’Elce) is an older guy that we feel is not far off if his game keeps progressing in the right direction. That’s exciting for us.”

Dell’Elce is the third Avs draft pick to play for UMass in the past nine years. Cale Makar was the No. 4 pick in the 2017 draft, and then Taylor Makar was a seventh-round selection in 2020. The Makar brothers played for the Brooks Bandits in the AJHL ahead of the draft before joining UMass.

Colorado’s second pick of the day was Linus Funck, a 6-foot-3 Swedish defenseman, at No. 118 in the fourth round.

Funck, a right-handed shot, had five goals and 28 points in 48 games for Luleå’s U-20 junior team. He was the 39th-ranked European skater in the class by NHL central scouting. He turned 18 on May 10.

“He’s got a really good feel for the puck and puck skills for a bigger body,” Pryor said. “He moves well. Like most, I think his game needs to round out and improve on the defensive side. … He’s exciting for us because he’s big, he’s mobile and he can move the puck.”

The Avs’ final choice of the draft was center Nolan Roed at No. 214 in the seventh round. Roed is a 5-11 center who had 27 goals and 60 points in 61 games for Tri-City in the USHL this past season. He’ll be a freshman at St. Cloud State next year.

“Nolan is a player that keeps getting better and better,” Pryor said. “I think with his scoring touch and competitiveness, he’s going to give himself a chance as long as his development keeps going in the right direction.”