This weekend will be the 47th NHL Draft in the history of the Colorado Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques franchise since the team joined the NHL ahead of the 1979-80 season. Throughout that time, the organization drafted some of the greatest players in NHL history. Here’s a look back at the franchise’s significant draft picks, including from their time in Quebec.
Michel Goulet (1979, 1st round, 20th overall) - Quebec Nordiques
Goulet was the franchise’s first-ever NHL draft choice, and he became one of the franchise’s greatest players. In 813 regular-season contests over 11 seasons with the Nordiques, Goulet posted 946 points (456g/490a) in addition to 64 points (34g/30a) in 66 playoff games. Goulet holds the franchise record for goals in a season with 57 in 1982-83 and is also second place on that list, with 56 in 1983-84. The Hockey Hall of Famer is currently top five on the franchise all-time lists for goals (2nd), points (4th) and assists (5th). His No. 16 was retired by the Nordiques in 1995.
Anton Stastny (1979, 4th round, 83rd overall) - Quebec Nordiques
Stastny joined the Nordiques for the 1980-81 season and made an immediate impact, posting 85 points (39g/46a) in 80 regular-season contests. Throughout his nine years in the NHL, all with the Nordiques, Stastny recorded 636 points (252g/384a) in 650 regular-season games in addition to 52 points (20g/32a) in 66 playoff contests.
Joe Sakic (1987, 1st round, 15th overall) - Quebec Nordiques
The Nordiques selected Sakic in 1987 and he’d go on to become the franchise’s all-time leader in goals, assists and points in both the regular season and playoffs. Along with a pair of Stanley Cups (1996, 2001), the Hockey Hall of Famer and team captain won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1996 and took home the Hart Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award and Lady Byng Trophy in 2001. In 1,378 regular-season games, all with the Nordiques/Avalanche, Sakic posted 1,641 points (625g/1,016a) along with 188 points (84g/104a) in 172 playoff contests. In addition to the Avalanche retiring his No. 19, Sakic was named one of the NHL’s 100 greatest players of all time through the league’s first century.
Curtis Leschyshyn (1988, 1st round, 3rd overall) - Quebec Nordiques
In nine years on the Nordiques/Avalanche blueline, Leschyshyn registered 141 points (34g/107a) in 522 regular-season contests along with six points (2g/4a) in 26 playoff games. On the team’s run to winning the 1996 Stanley Cup, he played in 17 playoff games while recording three points (1g/2a). Additionally, Leschyshyn finished top 10 in the NHL in plus-minus rating in back-to-back years, posting a +29 rating (2nd in the NHL) in 1994-95 and a +32 rating (6th) in 1995-96.
Valeri Kamensky (1988, 7th round, 129th overall) - Quebec Nordiques
In eight years with the Nordiques/Avalanche, Kamensky played in 460 regular-season games from 1991-92 through 1998-99, registering 414 points (166g/248a). He continued to produce in the playoffs, posting 60 points (25g/35a). During the Avs’ playoff run in 1996 that resulted in them winning the Stanley Cup, Kamensky posted 22 points (10g/12a) in 22 playoff games, including a pair of game-winning goals.
Adam Foote (1989, 2nd round, 22nd overall) - Quebec Nordiques
Foote was instrumental in the team’s Stanley Cup victories in 1996 and 2001. After 17 seasons with the organization, he ranks second on the franchise’s all-time games played list (967). He also served as the team captain for two seasons. In those 967 regular-season contests over two stints with the franchise, he posted 259 points (53g/256a) in addition to 42 points (7g/35a) in 170 playoff games. His No. 52 was retired by the Avalanche and hangs in the Ball Arena rafters.
Adam Deadmarsh (1993, 1st round, 14th overall) - Quebec Nordiques
Deadmarsh was a key cog in the Avalanche’s 1996 Stanley Cup winning team, posting 17 points (5g/12a) in 22 playoff games that season. In seven seasons with the Nordiques/Avalanche, he recorded 288 points (138g/150a) in 453 regular-season contests along with 56 points (22g/34a) in 88 playoff games.
Chris Drury (1994, 3rd round, 72nd overall) - Quebec Nordiques
Drury made an immediate impact in his rookie year (1998-99), posting 44 points (20g/24a) and winning the Calder Trophy. During his four seasons in Colorado, Drury recorded 222 points (85g/137a) in 314 regular-season games in addition to 50 points (26g/24a) in 80 playoff games. During the team’s playoff run to win the Stanley Cup in 2001, Drury registered 16 points (11g/5a) in 23 games while leading the league with nine even-strength tallies.
Milan Hejduk (1994, 4th round, 87th overall) - Quebec Nordiques
Hejduk spent his entire 14-year career with the Avalanche, including one season as team captain. In 1,020 regular-season games with the club, he posted 805 points (375g/430a) along with 76 points (34g/72a) in 112 playoff contests. In addition to posting 23 points (7g/16a) in 23 playoff games in 2001 to help the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup, he won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy in 2002-03 after leading the league with 50 goals. After his magnificent career, his No. 23 was retired by the organization.
Alex Tanguay (1998, 1st round, 12th overall) - Colorado Avalanche
In his second year in the NHL, 2000-01, Tanguay posted 77 points (27g/50a) in 82 regular-season contests before recording 21 points (6g/15a) in 23 playoff games that year to help the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup. In nine years over two stints with the Avs, Tanguay registered 488 points (167g/321a) in 598 regular-season games along with 50 points (18g/32a) in 83 playoff games.
John-Michael Liles (2000, 5th round, 159th overall) - Colorado Avalanche
Among defensemen in franchise history, Liles is third in assists (207) and points (275) while being fifth in goals (68). Over seven seasons in Colorado (2003-04 through 2010-11), Liles played in 523 regular-season games and was 15th among NHL blueliners in points during that span, in addition to making the All-Rookie Team in 2003-04. Liles currently works as an Avalanche analyst for Altitude TV.
Paul Stastny (2005, 2nd round, 44th overall) - Colorado Avalanche
The nephew of aforementioned Anton Stastny, Paul Stastny played eight years in Colorado, posting 458 points (160g/298a) in 538 regular-season games and 18 points (8g/10a) in 22 playoff contests. In his debut NHL campaign, Stastny recorded 78 points (28g/50a) and was named to the All-Rookie Team.
Tyson Barrie (2009, 3rd round, 64th overall) - Colorado Avalanche
During his eight seasons with the Avalanche, Barrie solidified himself as a high-level offensive defenseman, registering 0.63 points per game from 2011-12 through 2018-19, which was the seventh-best mark in the league during that span among players with at least 400 games played. In 484 regular-season games, his 75 goals, 232 assists and 307 points are all second on the franchise’s all-time list among defensemen.
Gabriel Landeskog (2011, 1st round, 2nd overall) - Colorado Avalanche
After winning the Calder Trophy as a rookie in 2011-12, Landeskog was named team captain ahead of the 2012-13 season, making him the youngest captain in league history at the time. In 738 regular-season games, Landeskog has posted 571 points (248g/323a) in addition to 71 points (28g/43a) in 74 playoff contests. On the Avs’ 2022 run to the Stanley Cup, Landeskog posted 22 points (11g/11a) in 20 playoff games. In his first action since that 2022 run due to injury, Landeskog recorded four points (1g/3a) in five 2025 playoff games.
Nathan MacKinnon (2013, 1st round, 1st overall) - Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche hit a grand slam when selecting MacKinnon in 2013. Throughout the first 12 years of his career, MacKinnon has helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022, recorded several major individual awards, and vaulted up many of the franchise’s all-time lists. In 870 regular-season games, MacKinnon has posted 367 goals (5th most in franchise history), 648 assists (3rd) and 1,015 points (3rd). When it comes to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, MacKinnon raises his game, as he’s posted 55 goals (3rd most in franchise history), 70 assists (3rd) and 125 points (3rd) in 95 contests. Individually, he took home the Calder Trophy in 2014, the Lady Byng Trophy in 2020, in addition to both the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award in 2024.
Mikko Rantanen (2015, 1st round, 10th overall) - Colorado Avalanche
Rantanen was one of the Avs’ key players during his time in Colorado. On the team’s run to winning the 2022 Stanley Cup, he posted 25 points (5g/20a). In addition to the 681 regular-season points (287g/394a) in 619 games he recorded as an Av, Rantanen’s 101 playoff points are the fourth most in franchise history.
Cale Makar (2017, 1st round, 4th overall) - Colorado Avalanche
Makar leads all franchise blueliners in goals, assists and points in both the regular-season and playoffs. He won the Calder Trophy in 2020 along with the Norris Trophy in 2022 and 2025. In 2022, he took home the Conn Smythe Trophy after leading the Avs in playoff points on their way to winning the Stanley Cup. In 395 regular-season games, Makar has posted 428 points (116g/312a) in addition to 85 points (22g/63a) in 79 playoff games. In 2024-25, he became the first defenseman since 2008-09 to record 30 goals in a single season and the first blueliner to post consecutive seasons of at least 90 points since Paul Coffey (1988-89 to 1990-91) and Al MacInnis (1989-90 to 1990-91).
