The Colorado Avalanche may have landed one of their more intriguing later-round finds in Beckett Hamilton.
Taken 74th overall in the third round of the 2026 NHL Draft, Hamilton arrived with some obvious appeal right away. He came out of the Western Hockey League’s Red Deer Rebels after a draft season in which he posted career highs across the board: 24 goals, 38 assists and 62 points in 67 games. He led Red Deer in goals, assists and points while piling up just 14 penalty minutes, then added five points in five playoff games as the Rebels were knocked out in five games by the Prince Albert Raiders, who later reached the finals.
“The creativity comes in flashes, but those flashes are very impressive, and the tools in terms of skating and pure skill could carry him to be a legit offensive player in the NHL.” Thomas Gagné, Smaht Scouting
“A Swiss Army knife, Hamilton adapts his game to the situation. Away from the puck, he’s constantly battling opponents and overwhelming them with his closing speed” - eliteprospects
So far this season, Hamilton has picked up right where he left off. Through his first five games of 2026-27, he has five goals and six assists for 11 points, trailing only linemate Poul Andersen on the Red Deer roster. Andersen has seven goals and seven assists for 14 points in seven games.
Hamilton got a late start after returning from Avalanche training camp, which is why he has played only five games. But his first week back was loud enough to earn him player of the week honors. In two games, he produced four goals and one assist.
His season debut came against the Lethbridge Hurricanes, and he wasted no time making an impact with a hat trick that included a shorthanded, game-winning goal in the second period. In his next outing, Hamilton chipped in a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers, and his goal stood as the game-winner.
The Avalanche’s prospect pool has been thin in recent years, a byproduct of a team that has spent the past five-plus seasons chasing wins and moving picks around to help the present. That makes every promising draft pick matter a little more, especially one showing this kind of early progress.
It’s still a big jump from junior hockey to the AHL or the NHL, and no one is rushing the process. But Hamilton turning 19 this season, showing this level of production early, and continuing to build his game in the WHL gives Colorado something worth watching. The hope is that he keeps developing into a player who can help the Avalanche down the line, or at least become the kind of asset that carries real value later.
In Other News...
Former Avalanche Blue-Liner Brings Back An All Too Familiar What-If
Ryan Lindgrens night for the Kraken ended almost before it began, a jarring turn for a defenseman whose career has already been marked by constant movement. He was hurt 15 seconds into Seattles game against the Vegas Golden Knights after taking a hit from behind and did not return because of an upper-body injury, another frustrating reminder of how quickly a season can tilt for a player trying to carve out stability in a new home.
For Avalanche fans, Lindgrens situation can stir a familiar what-if after his brief stint in Colorado following a trade brought him into the fold. He is now in his second season with Seattle, and his recent career path has been a reminder of how often his value has traveled with him from stop to stop. The injury adds a fresh layer of uncertainty to a season that had already been defined by change, leaving more questions about what comes next than answers. [Read more 🡒]
Nathan MacKinnon Suddenly Has The Help Colorado Needed Most
The Avalanche barely had time to settle into the season before their offense started roaring, piling up 14 goals in the first two games and matching a franchise mark. Martin Necas has been a big part of that early surge, flashing the kind of finish and playmaking Colorado hoped to add when it put him alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen.
Necas backed up the buzz in the 6-1 win over the Blues, scoring twice and adding an assist as the top line combined for three goals and eight points. What makes the start even more encouraging for Colorado is that the scoring has come with strong defensive work behind it, giving the Avalanche an early look at the balance they have been chasing. [Read more 🡒]
Bednar Sees One Risk Colorado Must Fix With Zach LHeureux
Zach LHeureux arrives with a reputation that follows him everywhere, and not just because of the way he plays. Since the start of his career, he has piled up 12 suspensions and missed 42 games, a track record that includes a recent three-game ban for slew-footing. For Colorado, the appeal is obvious: there is edge in his game, and edge is something this team has long valued when it is paired with speed, skill and purpose.
Jared Bednar sees the same upside, but he also knows the risk that comes with it. The Avalanche coach said LHeureux can learn to play with bite without crossing the line, pointing to Nazem Kadri as an example of how a player can keep the fire while cleaning up the consequences. The challenge now is less about whether LHeureux can bring energy than whether he can harness it, because Colorado needs that presence on the ice far more than it needs another discipline problem on the ledger. [Read more 🡒]