Avalanche trades out of first round of NHL draft, acquiring three picks in deal with Utah

LAS VEGAS — The Colorado Avalanche began Friday short on draft capital after years of making trades in pursuit of the Stanley Cup.

Chris MacFarland began changing that late in the first round of the NHL draft at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

The Avs general manager turned the No. 24 pick in the draft into three selections by making a trade with the Utah Hockey Club. The Avalanche traded No. 24 to Utah for pick Nos. 38 and 71 in the 2024 draft and a second-round selection in the 2025 draft.

“We felt it was pretty good value, dropping down 14 spots to pick up a second and a third this year and a second next year,” MacFarland said. “Especially considering we didn’t have a first, second or third next year.”

The Avs traded their second- and third-round picks in the 2024 draft in deals that returned Artturi Lehkonen and Darcy Kuemper, both key players on the 2022 Stanley Cup championship team. They traded the 2025 first as part of a two-transaction swap that netted Casey Mittelstadt and Sean Walker while erasing Ryan Johansen’s $4 million cap hit for next season.

The 2025 second- and third-round picks have been dealt 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.”