Several Colorado Avalanche former stars found new homes on the first day of 2026 NHL free agency.
Unfortunately, some players must depart the organization. It’s a natural part of the business side of hockey.
So, let’s take a closer look.
The biggest name to depart the Avalanche organization on Wednesday was Joel Kiviranta. The 30-year-old returned to the first organization he played for, the Dallas Stars. He signed a one-year, $1 million deal. This move was pretty clear, especially after the Avs signed Jaden Schwartz.
A former prospect, Ivan Ivan, inked a one-year deal with the Boston Bruins. The $850K deal came following his trade to Boston for RFA forward Fabian Lysell. The 23-year-old Ivan was a fan favorite in Colorado, but will now be looking for a fresh start in Boston.
Another former Avalanche, Alexander Kerfoot, left one Central Division rival for another. After spending some time with the Arizona Coyotes/Utah Mammoth, the 31-year-old inked a two-year, $7 million deal with the Nashville Predators. This signing is another case of Chris MacFarland bringing in familiar faces to Music City.
Overall, it was good to see some former Avalanche players find new homes this offseason. Kiviranta, in particular, had become expendable with some of the offseason moves the organization made.
In Dallas, he should have a bit more of a prominent role. The Stars are cap-strapped and will need to find cost-effective depth to round out their top-heavy roster. For Kiviranta, going back to Dallas made sense. There was a logical connection there, while former teammate and fellow Finn Mikko Rantanen is there. So, that made for a natural move for the now former Avalanche forward.
The only downside will be seeing “Kivi” in a different uniform next season. Since the Stars and Avalanche are division rivals, it will be interesting to see old friends face off against one another.
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