The Colorado Avalanche had to give up a lot to get Brock Nelson. They gave up two draft picks, Oliver Kylington and Calum Ritchie. Now the big question is, will Nelson re-sign with the Avalanche? If not, this might be one of the worst trades in franchise history.

The Avalanche needed a center to replace Casey Mittelstadt that they eventually traded to Boston. Brock Nelson looked attractive to the Avalanche because of his experience in the playoffs and he could sign with the team in the summer. They could also sign Nelson to a contract for under five million. It was an enormous risk, taking a player that had played his whole 13-year career for one team and was going to be an unrestricted free agent. A recent development has showed that Nelson may not sign with Colorado. So where does that leave them?

What the Avalanche gave up

Calum Ritchie was at the top of the prospect pool for the Avalanche. Ritchie played seven games at the beginning of the season for the Avalanche, scoring one goal. For a rookie, he looked good. He was making strides in his game and improving. It was his ceiling that had Avalanche fans excited. Ritchie had 254 points in 221 regular season OHL games. He also performed in the playoffs with 68 points in 53 games.

Ritchie could have slotted into the Avalanche lineup next season on the third line as a center. This would have given him the confidence and experience eventually to move up in the lineup. Ross Colton could move up to the second line and there would be a higher chance of getting a fourth line center than a second line center.

Giving up Oliver Kylington meant little, since he was not playing much for the Avalanche. Colorado is low on draft picks, so giving away two on an unsure thing hurts. They gave up their first-round pick in 2027 and their third-round pick in 2028. Giving away prospects in a system that is already “asset poor” is the last thing you want to do.

Why this hurts

If Nelson walks away from the Avalanche (which he has every right to do), Colorado has nothing to show for it. They will be down a second line center, a top prospect AND two picks. Not to mention the first round exit from the playoffs. The Avalanche will have to rebuild with free agents rather than draft picks. This will cause a patch work type of team like they had to do this last season. If Colorado had the picks, they could develop them and work them into the system as they want to.