Grading Colorado Avalanche's Top 3 Picks From the 2026 NHL Draft

The Colorado Avalanche didn’t have a first-round pick, but they still came away with a well-rounded class.

Colorado Avalanche / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The true impact of an NHL draft can’t be known for several years, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t take some time and evaluate each of the picks immediately.

While there is no way to accurately predict which prospects will go on to have successful NHL careers, prospects can be graded based on value, positional fit and long-term upside for the team.

Looking at the draft class with those standards in mind and the Colorado Avalanche put together a very respectable class even without a first-round pick.

Here is how we grade the top three draft selections.

Egor Shilov (43rd Overall) - Grade A

The Avalanche took their biggest swing at their earliest trade position with Egor Shilov. The team acquired this pick in the Valeri Nichuskin trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Shilov comes to the organization as a skilled center who has legitimate top-six potential. Getting a pick like Shilov outside of the first round seems like an excellent value.

In the 2025-26 season, Shilov played in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, where he finished the year with 32 goals and 50 assists for 82 points in 63 games. He earned the QMJHL Offensive Rookie of the Year honor.

Beckett Hamilton (74th Overall) - Grade A-

When the dust settles and players have time to settle in, Beckett Hamilton may turn out to be one of Colorado’s best steals in this class.

The Red Deer Rebels captain will bring solid leadership, hockey IQ and a dependable two-way game to Denver. The Avs acquired the pick position in the Ross Colton trade, and Hamilton may be the reason that trade will be remembered.

Hamilton’s stats show he recorded 62 points by way of 24 goals and 38 assists in 67 games during the 2025-26 season. He has a realistic chance at outperforming what the predictions might be for a No. 74 draft pick.

Tobias Tvrznik - Grade B+

Unlike Colorado’s first two selections, Tvrznik is a longer-term investment for the team.

The Czech goaltender made the move to the Western Hockey League last season and posted a 16-18-4 record with 3.10 goals-against average. He had a .913 save percentage over 39 games while playing for the Wenatchee Wild.

His save percentage is likely why the Avs were willing to take the bet on him in the fourth round.

Tvrznik has the size Colorado has searched for in the goaltending selections. He stands 6-foot-4 and should have great reach.

Colorado has the time to allow him to develop into the player they think he can be. Building organizational depth had to be the goal here, as he was the first of two goaltenders the Avs picked up in the draft.