Free agent focus for Colorado Avalanche

year pro at the Trade Deadline, and seemed to land a strong return when he scored 13 points in 19 regular season games. But Nelson managed just four assists in Colorado’s seven playoff games. He didn’t shine in the bright lights, and rumors in weeks since have swung both ways on his potential to re-sign. It seems mutual interest in staying with the Avalanche is growing, though it might cost the team the bulk of their remaining cap space. Nelson did finish the year with a stout 26 goals and 56 points in 80 games, and managed seasons above 30 goals and 60 points in each of the last three years. A full year in Colorado could bring out that high-end scoring once again, and make a lofty deal worth the price.

D Ryan Lindgren – Views were mixed when Lindgren came over from the New York Rangers at the Trade Deadline. He stepped up as another shutdown option near the bottom of Colorado’s depth chart, and fluctuated between as little as 16 minutes and as much as 23 minutes per game depending on game flow. But he finished his first stint in Colorado with just three points and a minus-one in 18 games. Lindgern did step up in the playoffs – with three points and a plus-five in seven games – but the sentiment on whether he should stick around could still swing either way. He’s a defense-first role player who can be trusted to block shots and throw hits. That’s a strong style to fold into the lineup – but too high of an asking price could lead to a split between Lindgren and the Avalanche this summer.

F Jonathan Drouin – Drouin has 30 goals and 93 points in 122 games with the Avalanche, spanning the last two seasons. That’s an 82-game average of 20 goals and 63 points, which would surpass any stat lines he’s posted so far. Drouin belongs in Colorado, and saw his production soar from 29 points to a career-high 56 points when he moved from the Canadiens to the Avalanche in 2023. But his season this year was marred by injury, holding Drouin to 37 points in 43 games. That’s still a productive year, and should be enough to earn a new deal – especially as Colorado looks to shore up their left-wing depth behind the uncertain Gabriel Landeskog.

F Jimmy Vesey – Colorado acquired Vesey and defender Ryan Lindgren from the New York Rangers at the Trade Deadline. Vesey quickly fell into the rut of healthy scratches in the Western Conference, and managed just two points in 10 games with the Avalanche before the end of the season. He wasn’t tapped at all in the playoffs, and posted minimal stats across the board in the minutes he did play. Vesey finished the year with a combined eight points in 43 games, far below the 26 points he scored in 80 games last year. He’s fallen into the hole of fourth-line forward – but could still have a glimmer of scoring upside. That could be enough to entice a team on the open market, but it doesn’t seem that team will be Colorado.

F Joel Kiviranta – Kiviranta received the most complete NHL role of his career this season. Despite tons of flux in Colorado’s top-end, their bottom-six wasn’t disturbed all too much – and Kiviranta was left to perform as the scorer on the team’s fourth-line. He fit the role well, netting 16 goals and 23 points in 79 games – all career-highs – despite averaging third-line minutes and no special teams. But he also shot at a 19-percent success rate – a drastic spike after his last three seasons fell below 10-percent. It’s clear by now that Kiviranta is a shooting-dependent scorer who can’t be tasked with much role. With the first double-digit goal-scoring of his career, he could convince the Avalanche to maintain him in their bottom-six on a cheap deal – but they run the risk of ending up with a forward they’ll soon need to swap out.

D Erik Johnson – Johnson learned that there’s no place like home this season. After three years in the Eastern Conference – one in Buffalo and two in Philadelphia – Johnson was eagerly dealt back to the Avalanche at the Trade Deadline. The move allowed the veteran to pursue one more Stanley Cup run with the team he’s spent 14 years with – but their hopes fell short at the hands of the Dallas Stars in the second round. Now, it’s the offseason, and Johnson must face the question of retirement after contributing just five points in 36 total games this season. He’s freshly 37 years old and seems to have a bright future in NHL coaching or management at the ready. This could be the summer that the 2006 first-overall selection opts to hang them up. If not, he’ll likely return on a league-minimum deal and continue to handle shutdown roles in Colorado.

Other UFAs: D Tucker Poolman, F Chris Wagner, F TJ Tynan, F Matthew Phillips, F Jere Innala, D Calle Rosen, D Jack Ahcan, G Adam Scheel (Group-6 UFA)

Projected Cap Space

Colorado is entering the off-season with just $8.7MM in projected cap space. That is peanuts in the NHL, and could be eaten up very quick by the mix of Malinski, Lindgren, and Drouin re-signing. Colorado could also opt to spent the bulk of it on locking down Nelson, though they’d be left at an impasse with many of their remaining free agents. Pending a major cap-clearing trade, Colorado is in store for a summer of budgeting – though a few lucrative signings is all they need to return for another strong season.

Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images. Contract information courtesy of PuckPedia.