The Colorado Avalanche have built a roster with real muscle on the blue line, and Josh Manson is one of the names that could draw attention if a future expansion draft comes into play.
That possibility came up in a recent look at what a 33rd team might do. Shayna Goldman and Dom Luszczyszyn put together a 32-man expansion draft, selecting one player from every team in the league, and Manson was their choice from Colorado. It’s the kind of pick that makes sense on paper, even if it would sting a bit for the Avalanche.
Manson is set to turn 35 during the 2026-27 season, which puts him firmly on the back end of his career. Colorado has plenty of younger defensemen in the pipeline, and the organization would love to see some of them grow into bigger roles by the time Manson is no longer around.
That future is already part of the Avalanche’s planning. Manson has two years left on his contract, and there’s a chance he finishes that deal and walks away from the game.
If that happens, Colorado would be hoping someone like Mikhail Gulyayev is close to NHL-ready by then. The timeline for college players can be slow, but the Avalanche are clearly thinking ahead.
There are other names in the mix as well. 2024 sixth-round pick Tory Pitner could eventually get a look with Colorado or the Colorado Eagles in the AHL, though that’s still up in the air.
The Avalanche also added four defensemen in the 2026 NHL Draft, and they used picks on Francesco Dell’Elce and Linus Funck in 2025.
Among the more interesting long-term options is Sean Behrens. He still hasn’t made his NHL debut, in part because he hasn’t shown enough yet and has also dealt with injuries. As a former second-round pick, he’ll be eager to change the way people talk about him. 2026-27 , but if Manson ends up being on the way out, he could make some noise.
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Among the players just outside the top 25 were forward Nolan Roed, goaltender Tobias Tvrznik and defenseman Saige Weinstien, each of whom drew enough notice to earn honorable mention status after recent performances that kept them in the conversation. The broader takeaway is familiar for a team trying to balance contention with development: the Avalanche may have more young talent on hand than outsiders realize, but sorting out which prospects can realistically translate that promise into NHL roles is still the hard part. [Read more 🡒]