COLORADO WILL STEP onto the draft floor with seven picks – which will delight the scouting staff, who’ve had that many picks over the past two drafts combined. Despite the volume of selections, however, the Avs still face something of a deficit, as their first-round pick also happens to be their only choice in the first three rounds.
IMMEDIATE NEEDS: The Avalanche have as many forwards heading for the open market as they do under contract for next season, so it’s clear what tops GM Chris MacFarland’s to-do list. And given that Colorado’s offense appears to be one Nathan MacKinnon injury away from utter collapse, acquiring cost-effective scoring is crucial, especially with the uncertainty around Valeri Nichushkin.
LONG-TERM NEEDS: Just as important as finding scoring today is locating some offensive punch for…
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The Hockey News (Digital) - 1 Issue, Draft Preview 2024