The Colorado Avalanche seem pretty stocked at the defensive position. However, the team’s cornerstone on defense, Erik Johnson, is 31. They also have 30-year-old Ian Cole, who only has two years left on his contract.
The general consensus is that outside of the top-two picks in the 2019 NHL Draft, neither of which Colorado has, players selected this year will take a couple years of development. So, the Avs might take a flyer at a defenseman.
Will they do so with their number-four pick, acquired from Ottawa in the Matt Duchene trade? My first instinct is no, but I didn’t see them picking Cale Makar with the fourth-overall pick a couple years ago either.