The Avalanche’s three-team trade on Nov. 5 has already paid off on the ice, with three of the seven return pieces for Matt Duchene contributing to what became a surprising playoff season. Now, the Duchene deal will begin to pay off at the NHL draft, too.
The Avs have eight confirmed selections in the seven-round draft that begins Friday night in Dallas. The extra guaranteed pick is a second-rounder, No. 58 overall, that was acquired from Nashville in a trade that also sent defenseman Sam Girard, 19, and Vladislav Kamenev, 21, to Colorado when Duchene was traded to Ottawa and the Senators sent Kyle Turris to Nashville.