Dell’Elce is once again UMass’s top scoring defenceman with 13 points in 18 games so far. He is shooting with nearly the volume and percentage of a forward, and his three goals are all game-winners. He was recently profiled by The Athletic as a “stock-rising” prospect which is certainly true, but this won’t necessarily speed up the clock on his fantasy countdown. He won’t be jumping straight to the NHL and the AHL Eagles don’t often ice more than one “offense-focused” blueliner at a time (and there are a few players with a scoring skillset there already). Even if his production pops, it would not be a surprise for the Avs to keep Dell’Elce simmering in the NCAA.

Colorado have selected Dell’Elce in the 3rd round of the 2025 draft with the 77th pick. This is roughly where the over-ager was expected to go in the draft, perhaps slightly earlier than expected. As a college freshman in 2024-25 he was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team after leading his UMass’s defence corps in points with 24 in 40 games. The left-handed defender can do a little bit of everything, and has been praised for his poise under pressure. He is eligible to turn pro right away and the AHL blueline is thin on young talent, however the team already boasts one of the top offensive producers in the league on the back end so the newbie will have to earn his ice time in other ways too in order to stick around.