When it comes to the free agent market, there always seems to be several players who are intriguing to every team. Unfortunately, a lot of times, those players are so good that they can be too expensive for many teams, essentially eliminating them from the bidding wars. The Colorado Avalanche are one of those teams.
The Avalanche are heading into the offseason with $8.7 million. There are just five teams in the league who have less money to spend. Thankfully, the Dallas Stars ($4.96 million) are the team with the least to spend. However, while that helps the Avalanche possibly add a higher quality player than Dallas, things can change.
Colorado has 18 of 23 roster spots filled, with Brock Nelson, Jimmy Vesey, Jonathan Drouin, Joel Kiviranta, Erik Johnson, Ryan Lindgren, and Tucker Poolman all unsigned unrestricted free agents. Poolman had been on IR since being acquired in a trade. I don’t believe the team has any plans on keeping him.
With just $8.7 million, the Avalanche likely won’t be able to sign all of these unrestricted free agents. Either they go in on a Nelson re-signing, or they move on from him to get some cheaper UFAs locked up. The second option is more likely. That’s just the way it goes in the salary cap era. It is going to be another year of being up against the cap, therefore making a tough decision.
That also means that they won’t be signing any top tier players. Here are three names that are a dream for the Colorado Avalanche.
Mikael Granlund, Dallas Stars
A top-10 pick in the 2010 NHL Draft, Mikael Granlund has played for the Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, and, most recently, one season with the Dallas Stars. As a fan of a team in the same division as the Stars, I got to see Granlund play often.
He played in 40 games against the Avalanche, putting up five goals and 27 assists in that time. He has a plus-minus of +3.
The Avalanche appear likely to lose Brock Nelson in free agency, making forward a big need. Granlund can fill in at center or at a wing spot depending on where Jared Bednar feels is best for the team.
Granlund is projected to receive a two-year deal worth around $5 million AAV. While that might be a steep price with the Avalanche’s salary cap situation, if the Avalanche are going to go after one top player, Granlund could be someone of interest and value to Colorado.
Mason McTavish (RFA), Anaheim Ducks
Mason McTavish is someone who I think could potentially become a member of the Colorado Avalanche. However, there is somewhat of a roadblock with this selection. McTavish is going to be a restricted free agent, which means that if the Avalanche wanted to offer him a contract, the Ducks would have to trade his rights. This situation would make sense if the Ducks felt they couldn't re-sign him.
McTavish was on a three-year, $10,275,000 deal with the Ducks that expires this offseason. Though his biggest cap hit on the contract was only $925,000, I think that he might be in line for a pay raise. He had 52 points in 76 games this past season, while adding 19 goals and 23 assists in 2023, and 17 goals with 26 assists in 2022.
According to rumors, McTavish is expected to land a contract in the $6.25 million AAV range.
It is possible that the Avalanche could offer him something cheaper, but they run the risk of other teams outbidding for his services. I don’t want the team to offer too much because they have too many other open roster spots they have to fill. Acquiring McTavish seems like a huge dream in my opinion. Very unlikely.
The Ducks hypothetically could choose to trade McTavish’s rights to another team as he is still tied to them. That would mean that the Avalanche would have his rights to sign him to a contract.
Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets
Wouldn’t it be absolutely glorious if the Colorado Avalanche managed to somehow steal Nikolaj Ehlers from the Winnipeg Jets?
Ehlers was fourth on the Jets in both goals with 24 and assists with 39. He was a plus-14 player in 69 games this past year. Ehlers had nine goals and 12 assists in 45 career playoff games.
He also had six power play goals this season, so that could be another area the Avalanche could have used him.
The issue? He is a priority for the Jets on their second-line alongside former Avalanche Vladislav Namestnikov and Cole Perfetti. Though it would be cool to have Ehlers on the Avalanche, The Hockey Writers says that the Winnipeg Jets should make him a “Jet for life.” That implies a long-term deal with the 29 year old.
Colorado Avalanche could try to continue their playoff push immediately
Yes, the Avalanche have limited cap space. No, they are not completely ruined by it.
It’s certainly possible that they will let several of their free agents go, including Brock Nelson. I think they’re more likely to retain Jonathan Drouin again and he should choose to come back to Colorado. As I wrote previously, his injury-riddled year was not a good way to enter free agency. He should sign another one-year deal and perhaps hit free agency in the offseason after this upcoming year.
I don’t really expect any free agent signings to be expensive for the Avalanche, simply because they have too many open spots. There’s no way they permanently fill any of those spots with AHL players. Up to the 2025-26 NHL trade deadline could be pretty interesting. Chris MacFarland proved last year that he isn’t scared of making moves, evident by the trade of Mikko Rantanen and acquisition of Brock Nelson, while also trading away prospects Calum Ritchie and William Zellers.