Avalanche Paid Heavy Price to Keep Their Stanley Cup Window Open

The Colorado Avalanche have aggressively traded away draft picks and prospects over several years to remain Stanley Cup contenders, built around stars Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Mikko Rantanen. A notable example is the March 2025 trade for Brock Nelson, which cost the team prospect Calum Ritchie and a conditional 2026 first-round pick among other assets. The article questions whether depleting the prospect pool was worth the price, while acknowledging Colorado's approach did produce a Stanley Cup championship.