Nick Pryor, the director of amateur scouting for the Colorado Avalanche, was a heck of a lot busier this weekend than he was during last year’s NHL draft.

The Avalanche entered the day with 10 selections, which would have been the most they’d made since the league went to a seven-round draft. They traded two of those picks to move up, dropping their class to nine, but that’s a lot busier than the three picks made in 2025.

“It was awesome,” Pryor said. “It was a lot of fun. We put a lot of work into it … we knew that when we were building our draft board that you know there was realistic possibilities to getting some of these guys higher up on the board that we really liked, so it put a different spin on it in comparison to last year’s draft.”

The highest selection the Avalanche made was a second-round pick they did not have just a few days ago. At No. 43 overall, a pick they acquired in Thursday’s Valeri Nichushkin trade, the Avalanche selected Egor Shilov out of the Quebec Junior League.

Shilov scored at well over a point-per-game for Victoriaville and will play there again next season before moving to Penn State in 2027-28. Some scouts had him rated much higher than the 43rd spot, while others had him a little lower. There is very little question about his offensive talent, which one scout called “high end,” but the rest of his game will need to develop over time, including his compete level and willingness to get his nose dirty. A high-skill player who leaves you wanting more in other areas of the game can be polarizing to many.

One NHL scout told The Denver Gazette that they “hate this player with a passion” after the selection was made, noting issues when he doesn’t have the puck on his stick, but the Avalanche are very happy to add Shilov to a prospect pool that lacks high-end talent. When you don’t always have a ton of draft picks, taking a swing on a very talented player isn’t a bad idea.

“We were really high on him,” Pryor said. “Our staff, our analytics department, the scouting staff through and through was high on him. It’s a high-talent player. We see him as a guy with high offensive upside and a lot of skill, dynamic skill, playmaking, so we were really excited to get him at that spot.”

Shilov and four other selections the Avalanche made are taking advantage of the recent changes to eligibility between the Canadian Hockey League and NCAA. They’ll each spend some time in the CHL before moving on to college, allowing them to develop at their own pace.

It has changed how teams like the Avalanche put together their draft lists.

“It’s exciting for us that if they need more time, if they need to extend their window from a development standpoint, there’s options available to these kids,” Pryor said.

One move the Avalanche made Saturday had nothing to do with Pryor and his team. Colorado traded forward Ivan Ivan, who played 49 NHL games over the last two years, to the Boston Bruins in exchange for another 23-year-old forward in Fabian Lysell.

The 5-foot-11 Lysell has a bit more pedigree, as he was drafted 21st overall in the 2021 draft, but that hasn’t translated to success at the NHL level. He has spent the majority of four seasons playing in the American Hockey League and played just 12 NHL games. Depending on who the Avalanche add after free agency opens July 1, Lysell will be one of a handful of young players aiming to make an impression and crack the NHL roster when training camp opens in September.

Avalanche 2026 draft class

Second round, 43rd overall: 6-foot-1 center Egor Shilov, 18-year-old from Victoriaville of Quebec Junior League (82 points in 63 games). Committed to Penn State for 2027-28.

Third round, 74th overall: 5-11 center Beckett Hamilton, 18, from Red Deer of Western Hockey League (62 points in 67 games)

Fourth round, 126th overall: 6-4 goaltender Tobias Tvrznik, 18, from Wenatchee of Western Hockey League (.913 save percentage in 39 games). Committed to Ohio State for 2027-28.

Fourth round, 128th overall: 5,-11 defenseman Axel Elofsson, 18, from Orebro in Sweden U20 (41 points in 32 games).

Fifth round, 140th overall: 6-4 defenseman Cole Tuminaro, 19, from Chicago in USHL (16 points in 54 games). Committed to Cornell for 2026-27.

Fifth round, 152nd overall: 6-2 defenseman Theodore Lechner, 17, from Academy of Holy Angels (38 points in 23 games). Committed to Augustana of NCAA in 2027-28.

Seventh round, 195th overall: 5-11 winger Shawn Carrier, 19, from Halifax of Quebec League (65 points in 61 games). Committed to Boston University in 2027-28.

Seventh round, 214th overall: 6-foot defensemen Ondrej Ruml, 18, from Ottawa of Ontario Hockey League (28 points in 66 games).

Seventh round, 215th overall: 6-4 goaltender Alexandre Raymond, 18, from Rouyn-Noranda of Quebec League (.914 save percentage in 18 games).