Colorado Avalanche Increasing Expectations of JT Compher with New Contract

The Colorado Avalanche and JT Compher avoided arbitration by agreeing to a four-year deal, which does place some added expectations on him.

The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward J.T. Compher to a four-year standard contract worth $3.5 million annually. The 24-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of his contract.

My first reaction when I read the terms of Compher’s contract was, “Wow, that’s a nice contract.” I had meant for JT, but I think the Avs will ultimately benefit, too.

More from Mile High Sticking

• Could Colorado Avalanche move on from Pavel Francouz next offseason?
• 4 goalies to replace Pavel Francouz if he has to miss time
• Colorado Avalanche make sneaky signing with Tatar
• Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog could return in 2023-24 playoffs
• Colorado Avalanche rookie face-off tournament roster

On Compher’s side, he’s been a solid player who’s unfortunately been hindered some by injury. He played 69 games (nice) in 2017-18 and 66 games last season. Thus far, last year has been his career season — 32 points (16 goals, 16 assists). In the playoffs, he recorded four goals and two assists for six points.

Those are nice statistics, but I don’t know they’re $3.5 million statistics. Granted, his former roommate and current Toronto Maple Leaf, Alexander Kerfoot, earned the same contract. Kerfoot had back-to-back 40-point seasons, though.

Well, never mind, Compher has scored some clutch goals in his time with the Avs. However, this pretty contract does put some onus on him to reach that next level.

That’s assuming there is a next level. As BSN Avalanche points out, Compher seemed to have reached his offensive ceiling any time the team increased his ice time or role.

Nonetheless, what he’s done, he’s done well. He’s become a wizard at the short-handed goal. Indeed, he earned three last season, which led all Avs players. And he did earn himself a Gordie Howe Hat Trick last season, too.

I think the team is going to want to see him kick up his game a notch. His possession numbers were only ok — 47.3 CorsiFor and -4.1 Relative Corsi. He was dead even on takeaway to giveaway — 23:23. He doled out 33 hits and blocked 59 shots.

Well, what we might be seeing here is a poor man’s Carl Soderberg, and that’s ok. The Colorado Avalanche aren’t a poor man, especially since they still have the best cap situation of any team. However, it’s nice to get that role from a younger player earning a couple million less.

After the signing, GM Joe Sakic gave some insight into why they gave Compher such a nice contract:

“J.T. has been one of our most versatile forwards over the past two years. He plays on our power play, kills penalties and has played up and down our lineup. He has scored some big goals late in games and we are counting on him to have an even more expanded role moving forward. We are excited to have him under contract for the next four seasons.”

Yep, there it is — the team expects him to have an expanded role next year.

Well, we’d better look at a nice JT Compher goal before concluding this post:

You can’t beat playoff goals, especially ones that break a tie.

I’m satisfied with the J.T. Compher signing. I think he really does have about a Carl Soderberg ceiling, and that was just fine for the Colorado Avalanche the last two seasons.