Mile High Sticking
Fansided

Top 3 highest-paid players in Colorado Avalanche history

By Graham Tiedtke

February 11, 2011; Columbus, OH, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Peter Forsberg (21) skates up ice against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
February 11, 2011; Columbus, OH, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Peter Forsberg (21) skates up ice against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Apr 29, 2008; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Avalanche forward (21) Peter Forsberg against the Detroit Red Wings in the first period of game 3 of the Western Conference semi-finals at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Byron Hetzler-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 29, 2008; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Avalanche forward (21) Peter Forsberg against the Detroit Red Wings in the first period of game 3 of the Western Conference semi-finals at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Byron Hetzler-USA TODAY Sports /

#2 Highest-Paid Colorado Avalanche: Peter Forsberg: $11 million in 2001: $11 million in 2003

As stated in the slide prior to this one, the NHL did not have a salary cap up until the 2005-06.

Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic were like the Kobe Bryant/Shaquille O’Neal of the NHL back in the day. They fed off each other’s energy and performed their best alongside each other.

During the 2001 season, Forsberg, the team’s 6-foot, 205-pound center, played in 73 games, snatching 27 goals and 62 assists for a total of 89 points. Forsberg finished the year with five game-winning goals, which tied his second-most amount in that category for his career.

Forsberg earned every penny of his contract. He was a two-time 30-goal scorer for the Colorado Avalanche and during the 2001 season, he had 27 goals and 62 assists in 73 games.

Forsberg had two game-winning goals during the team’s playoff and Stanley Cup run in 2001.

For his career, he played an incredible 708 games, scoring 249 goals, assisting on 636 goals for a total of 885 points. He finished his illustrious career with a plus-minus of 238.

Forsberg was named a First-Team All-Star Team in 1998, 1999 and 2003.

The money that the Colorado Avalanche spent on him went to good use.

He was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014.

Home/History