With the 77th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the Colorado Avalanche have selected defenseman Francesco Dell’Elce from UMass. Dell’Elce is going through the draft for his third time this year. NHL Central Scouting ranks him 82nd for North American skaters, but he has decent size for a 20-year-old. Standing at six foot one and 181 pounds, he is tall and lanky.

Dell’Elce showed glimpses in his freshman year at the collegiate level of what is capable of. He is a puck moving defenseman with an offensive upside netting 24 points (7g/14a) in 40 games last season. The NCAA (Hockey East) All-Rookie team recognized Dell’Elce for his talent in a competitive conference.

The King City, Ontario native, plays well when he has the puck and leads the play. He has a lot of patience and can lead the play out of the zone on the exit. Dell’Elce can use his speed if he sees an opening and turns on the jets to get through the zone quickly. His confidence shows through his ability to handle pressure when the opponent bears down on him.

The heavy shooter quarterbacked the power play for the Minutemen and took on a lot of minutes for the team. Dell’Elce is great at finding the shooting lane and getting the second or third opportunities on the rebounds. His vision to find the seams and connect passes sets him apart to drive the play. He can work his edges and set himself apart with his skating.

Dell’Elce sounds like he has a lot of similarities to Cale Makar. He can see the ice and takes advantage of the open spaces with speed and skating. This is not surprising, considering that they went to the same school and played in very similar systems. The Avalanche needed to get some defensive depth so the pick fits.