Colorado Avalanche find diamond in rough with Nolan Roed in 7th round

Being selected in the 7th round might mean you have doubters. Sometimes, that's the best fuel for the right prospect.

The Colorado Avalanche selected center Nolan Roed with the 214th pick overall in last weekend's NHL Draft. By any conventional standard, that makes Roed a longshot to play in the National Hockey League.

In reality though, there are many 7th round success stories in NHL lore. Even so, readers might wonder why I'm spending my time diving into the deeper story of a pick past 200. Well, this one just happens to mean a little more to me as a fan, because of where he comes from.

Roed played USHL hockey right here in my hometown! More specifically, he played for the Tri-City Storm. For those that don't know Tri-City represents three mid-size cities in Nebraska: Grand Island, Hastings, and Kearney. Pronounced car-knee, thank you very much. Kearney is where I was born and raised, and is home to the arena where the Storm play.

My family were inaugural supporters of the Storm. much like I was an immediate fan of the Colorado Avalanche on their arrival from Quebec. Colorado is also home, to my mom's side of the family. I grew up loving puck, but this was different, because it was local, and reasonably affordable.

My parents, and my aunt, all bought season tickets when the Storm came to town in 2000. I went to a ton of games in those early years, although it shames me a little to admit I haven't gone in a while. Thus, I missed seeing Nolan Roed who, has been here the last two seasons.

Although, I'm pretty sure the last time I attended a game, Nolan's older brother Lleyton Roed was on the team. Lleyton was a member of the Storm for two seasons from 2020-22. I'm hazy on the exact date but know it was one of the first things I did with a crowd post-Covid. Lleyton Roed is now a prospect with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Seattle Kraken.

Storm in the pros?

Avalanche fans might also like to know that one of Lleyton's teammates from that era was none other than Gavin Brindley. Brindley was recently acquired by the Avalanche in the Coyle and Wood trade just before the draft. It seems that Avalanche scouts might like something specific about Storm alumni.

The Avalanche have suited up a handful of guys who got their start here in my hometown. Roed and Brindley are just the latest prominent examples. They actually make up a trifecta of Tri-City names now attached to the Avalanche organization after adding Ronnie Attard just days ago, presumably to bolster the backend for the Colorado Eagles in the AHL.

Other former Storm players who eventually donned burgundy and blue in the NHL are Nico Sturm and most recently Brandon Duhaime. Sturm lifted the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022 after being a deadline acquisition in the deal that sent Tyson Jost to Minnesota. Sturm, interestingly, just won another Cup after joining Florida this year.

I'm not saying the Avs have to seek out Sturm at the deadline in 2025-26, but it might be worth a try. At the very least, it would be a better gamble than Corey Perry, and a lot cheaper too.

Outside of Colorado, Tri-City Storm players have made a mark in the NHL. Matthew Knies may someday be the richest, now that he inked a six-year deal to stay in Toronto. Center Mason Appleton was also in the news this week as he's moving from Winnipeg to Detroit on a new deal.

Defenseman Blake Coleman, like Sturm, has two Cups. In Coleman's case, they were back-to-back with Tampa Bay. Jaden Shwartz has one Cup with the Blues, and has the greatest longevity in the NHL with over 800 games played. He has spent the last chunk of his career in Seattle where he wears an A.

I add all this context not just to pump up my local club, but to emphasize how these humble beginnings have helped nurture a surprising amount of pro hockey talent.

7th round? No sweat!

The 7th round might seem like the lowest place to start an NHL rise. Statistically, sure the odds are stacked against you, but for a special few that just means the climb will be sweeter in the end.

Honestly, sometimes going undrafted altogether may seem a preferable path. One need only look at a pair of extensions this week handed out by Colorado to see my point. Both Sam Malinski and Parker Kelly never even heard their names called. That didn't stop either from earning their place.

Malinski is on a one year prove-it contract, and Kelly just got longer-term security for trademark guts. With the Roed pick, and also the Dell'Elce selection, Colorado's front office may be splitting the difference with some strategic thinking.

They are choosing so-called overaged players: Guys who did get passed over in a previous draft, but as a result have had another year or two to develop. This is even true of 2024's top Avalanche pick Ilya Nabokov. Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland clearly loves prospects who might have an extra chip on their shoulders.

That added motivation is often cited in 7th round success stories too. I knew going into the draft that the Avalanche didn't have a lot of picks. They only had two in the bank, 4th and 7th rounders before the aforementioned Coyle and Wood swap with Columbus.

Even prior to the pick having personal gravity for me, I was already saying that the 7th is where we'll find the most interesting story. With that in mind I have been checking out 7th round triumphs and there is plenty to be excited about.

Consider a future Hall of Fame talent like Joe Pavelski, who logged over 1,000 points in 1,300 career games. Or, if you want current examples of solid NHL players who went in the 7th round, look at Ondrej Palat or defenseman Mackenzie Weegar. Palat has two Cups, and Weegar is a former All-Star.

If you specifically want Avalanche connections, I found those, too. Notably there is Andrew Brunette, who enjoyed a long productive career in the NHL, including a mid-2000's stint in Colorado. Brunette now serves as Head Coach for the Nashville Predators.

If you want championship chops, you can't forget Colorado's first Big Val. Valeri Kamensky, who hoisted Lord Stanley in 1996. Maybe you aren't convinced because those guys weren't technically picked by an Avs organization.

Then I ask, do you remember Radim Vrbata? Vrbata may have had only the start of his career with the Avalanche, but by the time he hung it up he had 623 points in 1,057 games. There is value everywhere in the draft. The trick is being their to nurture the talent and capitialize.

Nolan Roed might be a name virtually nobody knows outside of Minnesota, where he was born, and will play college hockey with St Cloud, or in Kearney, Nebraska, where I sit now. But there is still a chance Roed will be the next 7th round surprise.

Roed did lead the Storm this past season, collecting 60 points in 61 games. The breakdown was pretty even too, with 27 goals and 33 helpers. Although I started this article admitting I haven't seen him live - I did ask my aunt for the scoop.

She still holds those season tickets, and watches all the time. She said that aside from the scoring punch, Roed has good leadership qualities and that he's unselfish and a great team-first player. That is a player profile that should be easy to root for. Plenty of kids can get stats in the USHL, but not all of them have what it really takes.

I have resolved never to miss entire seasons of local hockey. I will now make sure to get to at least some games, just in case. This is a good reminder to support hockey wherever you are. If there is a rink nearby, support the game.

I certainly don't need more reason to root for Avalanche players at every level, but with Nolan Roed it looks like I will be even more invested. My aunt has already promised that if Roed ever gets the call from Colorado, we are going to Ball Arena.