NHL Rumours: Colorado Avalanche Salary Cap Crunch

It’s time for another round of NHL rumours. We’re three games deep into the Stanley Cup Final, but the teams that were eliminated are still being discussed. A number of teams have a plethora of expectations. However, some of those teams fell short and have to figure out what comes next. There have already been some signings in the run-up to July 1. However, this means general managers will have some touch choices to make.

One team that may have to face some of those difficult decisions is the Colorado Avalanche. This edition of NHL rumours deals with what the team may do in the wake of a recent signing.

All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.

NHL Rumours

Colorado Avalanche Face Salary Cap Crunch This Summer

Rumour: Troy Renck of The Denver Post noted that the Avalanche now face some tough roster choices in the wake of the Brock Nelson signing. Colorado signed Nelson to a three-year deal worth $7.5 million per season.

Analysis: The Avalanche took a big roll of the dice by retaining Nelson at that big of a cap hit. Colorado needed a second-line centre, but the cap hit is a steep one to take. It’s also a bit of a risk that the Avalanche are going to run it back with the same roster. We saw general manager Chris MacFarland take some big swings at the deadline. However, Colorado was eliminated by the Dallas Stars in the first round.

Renck mentions that the Avalanche may have limited themselves when it comes to free agency. This is a pivotal point in Colorado’s championship timeline. The Avs feel they’re still a contender, but there needs to be some changes.

There’s a good group of players with Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon and others. However, there needs to be some work done in order to get the team deep into the post-season.

What It Means

Kyle Morton of The Daily Faceoff also took a dive into the situation regarding Colorado’s cap. The Avalanche currently have only $1.2 million in cap space and has 19 signed players going into the season. Colorado will have to do some work in order to fill the roster.

We could see someone like Samuel Girard on the move this off-season. Girard has a $5 million cap hit and moving that number could give the team some flexibility. The 27-year-old is under contract until the end of the 2026-27 season.

Morton also mentions Charlie Coyle and his $5.25 million cap hit could be moved this off-season. He can be a good depth forward, but him as a second-line centre is a stopgap option. The Avs could move him to somewhere else in order to free up some more salary cap space.

There could also be some chatter regarding Ross Colton and Miles Wood. Colton showed some good signs, but he carries a $4 million cap hit for next season. Morton mentioned that Colton and Wood could become expendable.

There’s also the uncertainty surrounding Martin Necas, who came over from the Carolina Hurricanes. Playing alongside MacKinnon could be fun, but one wonders if Necas wants to stay in Colorado.

Main photo by: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images