The Colorado Avalanche spent the week reshaping the roster, and the list of moves was long enough to keep even the most dialed-in fans busy.
Colorado used the 2026 NHL Draft to add nine players, then followed that up with a flurry of trades and signings that touched several familiar names. Ross Colton is now headed to Nashville after the Predators acquired the forward in a deal with the Avalanche. Ivan Ivan is also on the move, with Boston landing him from Colorado for Fabian Lysell.
Another trade sent Jack Drury to the Predators as well. In return, the Avalanche received forwards Svechkov and L’Heureux, while Nashville also got Bradley and a third-round pick. Drury’s stay in Nashville did not last long, either - the Predators signed him to a five-year contract carrying a $4.5 million annual average value.
Colorado also kept Brent Burns in the fold, with Burns signing on for another season with the Avalanche.
The moves drew plenty of attention around the organization, including praise from Joe Sakic after the Nichushkin trade. Sakic said the Avalanche “don’t win Cup” without him. Another report said Sakic was already making big deals and bringing back veterans in return to his Avalanche GM role.
Around the league, the Maple Leafs made forward Gavin McKenna the first pick of the NHL draft. Joe Iginla said he is out to prove “haters” wrong after the Calgary Flames drafted the son of franchise legend Jarome. And another report pointed to more evidence of a Senators locker room rift involving Brady Tkachuk.
In Other News...
Avalanche Just Made A Makar Move Fans Will Want To See
The Avalanche kept a familiar name in the fold by signing forward Taylor Makar to a two-year contract that runs through the 2027-28 season. It is the latest step in a first full professional year that saw him move between Colorado and the Colorado Eagles, with the 2025-26 season giving him a taste of both NHL and AHL duty as he worked his way into the organizations plans.
Makars background already gives the deal extra interest around the team. The younger brother of defenseman Cale Makar came to pro hockey after college stops at the University of Maine and UMass-Amherst, and his development has been watched closely ever since he entered the Avalanche system. His first year also carried him into a meaningful spring run with the Eagles, which only adds to the sense that Colorado sees a player worth keeping close as his next chapter begins. [Read more 🡒]
Another Avalanche Linked Pick Just Took An Unexpected New Turn
A pick tied to Colorados draft future has already taken on a different look after a fresh move in Vancouver. Nashville added winger Nils Hglander from the Canucks for a third-round pick in 2029, giving the Predators another young piece to sort into their lineup while Vancouver picked up draft capital and some cap relief.
For Avalanche fans, the wrinkle is less about where Hglander landed than how a previously connected asset keeps changing hands. Hglander is under contract through the 2027-28 season, and the move gives Nashville a player whose recent season was shaped by an ankle injury and a steep dip in production after a more productive year before that, making this one of those deals that could still look very different down the road. [Read more 🡒]