After selecting Egor Shilov in the second round, the Colorado Avalanche rounded out their 2026 draft class with a whopping eight more picks before the day was over. All-together collecting three forwards, four defensemen and two goaltenders as new prospects to the organization.
In the third round Beckett Hamilton was selected at 74th overall out of Red Deer in the WHL. He’s known as a hard-working well-rounded right shot center, which pairs well with perhaps a riskier upside bet in Shilovs from the previous
round. Hamilton stands at 5-foot-11 and was ranked 33rd by NHL Central Scouting after putting up 62 points in 67 games. Hamilton has been a member of Team Canada contributing three goals at the U18 tournament.
A pair of picks by the Avalanche completed the fourth round. There they obtained their first goaltender of the draft in Tobias Tvrznik at 126th overall, He possesses the 6-foot-4 size the organization loves and plays for Wenatchee in the WHL. Altgough he was ranked 8th for North American goalies by Central Scouting, Tvrznik was drafted in his second time through the process. The Czech netminder is committed to Ohio State for the 2027-28 season.
Two picks later at 128th overall the first of several defensemen went off the board to Colorado with the selection of 5-foot-11 right shot Swedish defenseman Axel Elofsson. He scored 41 points in 39 games playing at the U20 level for Örebro and played six games for the organization at the SHL level. Eloffson has been an important player for the Swedish international team winning a gold at the U18, silver at the Hlinka Gretzky and bronze at the WJAC all in the 2025-26 season while also picking up accolades for most points and assists. He was ranked 29th by Central Scouting for European players.
In the fifth round Joe Sakic executed his second ever move up the board utilizing their lowest seventh round pick at 222nd overall to jump nine spots to take right shot defenseman Cole Tuminaro at the 140th pick. He was ranked 96th by Central Scouting for North American skaters. It’s interesting strategy because the 6-foot-4 and 225 pound right hander is a 19-year-old re-entry who scored 16 points to go along with 148 penalty minutes. Every organization wants to add size and grit but these prospects are very difficult to develop. He’s excepted to plat at Cornell next season after leaving the USHL.
The other player Colorado selected in the first round, Teddy Lechner is basically at the other end of the spectrum. He is also a right shot defenseman who was a little under the radar ranked by Central scouting at 139th for North American skater but at 6-foot-two and only 170 pounds has a lot of work to do to fill out his frame. He primarily played Minnesota high school hockey scoring 38 points in 23 games with only 10 penalty minutes and is committed to Augustana University for the 2027-28 season. At just 17-year-old Lechner has a long runway of development ahead and the organization can remain patient with him.
Colorado’s last three selections of the draft were made in the seventh round and all hail from the CHL. This makes sense because of the new extended eligibility to four-years for all prospects plus the interesting fact that the Avalanche tend to sign their seventh round CHL prospects. Shawn Carrier was selected at 195th overall and is a 19-year-old left wing from Halifax in the QMJHL. Ondrej Ruml who is a 18-year-old left shot defenseman from Ottawa in the OHL and is a big player on the Czech national team was taken at the 214th pick. And then just one pick later Alexandre Raymond is the second goaltender selected to close out this draft class for Colorado also with size standing at 6-foot-4. He’s a 17-year-old playing for everyone’s favorite QMJHL team Rouyn-Noranda.
What do you think of Colorado’s 2026 draft class? Let us know in the comments!
