Colorado’s 2028 first-round pick is already making the rounds, and the trip is starting to look familiar.
The Avalanche sent that selection to the Calgary Flames at last year’s NHL trade deadline in the Nazem Kadri deal. Calgary then used it to get Simon Nemec from the New Jersey Devils earlier this summer, and now the Devils have moved it again. On Tuesday, New Jersey sent the pick to the Nashville Predators as part of the return for forward Luke Evangelista.
For a choice that is still two drafts away, that’s been quite a journey.
It also fits a pattern that’s beginning to form around Colorado’s first-rounders. Last season, the Avalanche’s original first-round pick bounced all over the league before finally being used.
It went from Colorado to the New York Islanders in the Brock Nelson trade, then from the Islanders to the St. Louis Blues in the Brayden Schenn trade.
St. Louis sent it to the Anaheim Ducks, and Anaheim flipped it to the Vegas Golden Knights, who ultimately made the pick.
The reason these Colorado picks keep getting moved is pretty straightforward: they usually aren’t premium first-rounders. Because the Avalanche are a strong team, their selections tend to land near the back of the opening round. This year’s pick, for instance, came in at No. 29 overall.
That’s still a useful asset, but it doesn’t carry the same shine as a top-10 pick, or especially a top-five one. A selection that high brings more upside and more certainty in the eyes of teams making deals. Colorado’s late first-rounders, by contrast, are often treated more like second-round currency.
That’s why they get traded so easily.
The comparison to the Chicago Blackhawks’ fourth-overall pick, which was dealt to the Buffalo Sabres for Bowen Byram, shows the gap in perceived value. A pick that high simply means more to teams than one sitting near the end of the first round.
And barring a dramatic collapse over the next couple of years, the Avalanche’s 2028 pick is unlikely to move much higher than the 28th or 30th spot. If Colorado wins the Stanley Cup in 2028, it would become the 32nd selection.
For the Avalanche, that’s the price of doing business when you’re chasing a championship.
In Other News...
Cale Makar Just Gave Avalanche Fans A Huge Reason To Exhale
Cale Makar gave Avalanche fans a major dose of relief on a day when the focus could have easily stayed on his record-setting new deal. The defenseman signed an NHL-record eight-year, $163.2 million contract to remain in Colorado, a move that only underscored how central he is to the franchises future. Avalanche president Joe Sakic made it clear the team views Makar as indispensable, especially after his absence was felt in the Western Conference Final.
Makar also addressed the upper-body injury he suffered in the playoffs and sounded optimistic about the road ahead. He said he expects to be healthy and ready for training camp, which is exactly the kind of update Colorado wanted after waiting to see how he would recover. For a club that knows how much it missed him in the spring, the contract was a headline, but the health update may have been the bigger reason to breathe easier. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Still Carry One Big Playoff Question After Another Brutal Exit
Nathan MacKinnon again gave Colorado the kind of elite scoring punch that has become the bedrock of the franchise, finishing last season as the teams leader in goals and claiming the Rocket Richard Trophy with 53. The Avalanche also spent the regular season looking every bit like a contender, rolling to the Presidents Trophy and extending their run to nine straight playoff trips, which remains tied for the longest active streak in the NHL.
But the postseason once again left a harsher question hanging over the roster. Colorado was swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals and became only the second team in NHL history to be swept after winning the Presidents Trophy, a reminder that the Avalanche can pile up success before April and still end up with unfinished business when the games tighten up. Even with betting sites expecting them to be back in the mix next season, thats the issue they still have to answer. [Read more 🡒]
Gavin Brindley Just Made Colorados Camp Battle A Lot More Interesting
Gavin Brindley arrived in Colorado with the sort of profile that can make a training camp feel a little less predictable. The 21-year-old forward, acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets, already has 56 NHL games on his rsum from the 2025-26 season, and he managed to turn enough heads along the way to earn a two-year contract extension. For a player still trying to settle into the league, that kind of organizational commitment says plenty about how the Avalanche view his ceiling.
Brindley also showed he can keep contributing after setbacks, which is part of why his roster case is worth watching. After an injury sent him down to the AHL affiliate in Loveland, he still found a way to help in the playoffs, keeping himself in the conversation for a spot with the big club. With camp approaching, the question is less about whether he belongs in the picture and more about how quickly he can make the decision impossible to ignore. [Read more 🡒]