NHL free agency kicks off at noon on July 1st. The Colorado Avalanche and GM Chris MacFarland have a lot of work to do, with little cap space to do it. The team currently has $8.95m in cap space and has multiple holes to fill on the roster, at both forward and defense. The only area of the team that's really set is goaltender.
Here, I'm going to take a look at some free agent defensemen and why the Avalanche should consider signing them. As far as needs, the Avs likely need to sign a 2nd/3rd pair defenseman and another defenseman or two that can be 6/7D to share the rotation with Keaton Middleton. I've broken this down into two groups, defensemen that contribute more offensively, and those that are more of the traditional defensive guys.
To help me out with contract information I've used AFP Analytics and their 2025-26 NHL Contract Projection tool to get an idea of what kind of contract these guys would likely sign. I highly recommend anyone wanting to look into contract information and the like to check out this site as it has a ton of useful information.
The best defense is a good offense
This group of defensemen can add more offense to an already dangerous defensive corps, that includes Norris trophy winner Cale Makar. While it's safe to argue that buying into more offense for this defensive group doesn't make sense, the trade rumors have been all over the place and it's possible the Avalanche trade Sam Girard or Josh Manson. If that ends up being the case, Colorado could look to one of these players to fill the void.
Matt Grzelcyk
Matt Grzelcyk had an excellent season considering it was spent in Pittsburgh. With one goal and 39 assists, he set a career high in points. He was largely helped by quarterbacking the Penguins powerplay as he contributed 15 points on the powerplay. He also averaged over 20 minutes of ice time on the season, which would be helpful for the Avalanche to keep their entire defense rested.
Grzelcyk's previous cap hit was $2.75m, so he's in line for a raise. He likely sees a contract value of $4 million or less, with AFP projecting him at about $3.75 million. While I like Grzelcyk and I think he'd be a great fit for the Avalanche, there really just isn't a lot of room for him as an offensive guy in a system that is already top heavy with offensive defensemen.
Alexander Romanov
Alex Romanov is one of the more valuable defensemen available in free agency this year. Over the last three years with the Islanders, he's proven he's able to contribute both offensively and defensively, contributing 20+ points and averaging 20+ minutes of ice time as well. Romanov would be an amazing addition to be a bonafide 2nd pair guy for Colorado.
His previous contract was for three years at $2.5m. With the uptick in production and the steady consistency that he's shown, he's another guy that's due for a raise. If he signs for less than $5 million, the Avalanche should definitely consider bringing him in. The price point would mean someone is out, either Girard or Manson, but if they can sign him for AFP's projection about $4.5 mIllion, it'd be worth it. I think Romanov is an upgrade over both Girard and Manson (and I love me some Sammy G).
Nick Perbix
This is the guy I'd love to see get an Avalanche uniform this season. He's been quietly putting together quality seasons in Tampa Bay. In three seasons, he's hit 20 points in two of them, just missing 20 points by one this previous season. He provides great two-way play but has the ability to open things up on offense and that will only grow as he continues to get more experience. I think he would pair up well with Girard.
AFP's projection has Perbix at just above $2.5 million, a raise from his previous cap hit of $1.125m. That's a good price for a second pair defensemen This would allow them to sign some more depth guys to fill out the rest of the roster while getting a quality second pair defenseman with high potential upside.
The defensive defensemen
Jon Merrill
Jon Merrill is a seasoned defenseman and plays a solid defensive game. He can eat up a lot of minutes and plays on the penalty kill, a much needed part of the game from defensemen for Colorado right now. I think Merrill can be a very cost effective solution for the Avalanche's 3rd pair. The only real question I have about him is whether he can keep up with the Avs' speed.
His previous cap hit was $1.2m and his projection from AFP runs him just above that. For that price, the Avalanche could easily afford to bring him in and give him a shot on the bottom pair. His ability to play on the penalty kill is what would make this move much more likely from Colorado's perspective.
Parker Wotherspoon
Parker Wotherspoon is another member of the Boston Bruins that could become a casualty of their rebuild, especially after the news that they'd re-signed Henri Jokiharju, which was another name I had considered for this list. Wotherspoon is a bit unproven as he's only played more than 40 games in two NHL seasons and he's been limited to third pair time for much of it. As a younger defenseman, he could project further up the lineup as a second pair defenseman with more growth and experience.
Wotherspoon made $800k on a one year deal with Boston last year and is also likely to get a decent pay increase. AFP projects him between $1.25m and $1.5m and just like with Jon Merrill, I think that's a good value for a possible second-pair, but likely third-pair defenseman.
Nate Schmidt
Here's the big fish in my article. I think Nate Schmidt provides everything that this Avalanche defensive corps needs. He's through and through a defensive defenseman, but it's the size and physicality that the Avalanche are in desperate need of. While I'm not a huge fan of the pro wrestling style hockey that Florida likes to deliver in the playoffs, I can't argue with its effectiveness. And one of the biggest knocks on the Avalanche for years has been their lack of physicality. Nate Schmidt would really make up for that lacking quality.
His deal with Florida was a one-year deal for $800k, but like the rest of the defensemen on this list, he's likely due for a raise. AFP has him projected at nearly $3 million, but that seems a bit steep to me as he's 33. If I were the Avalanche, I'd sign him for three years at something like $2 million, as that contract would be an easily-movable piece the following two seasons.
The Avalanche need a lot at both forward and defense this offseason. While there may be some players to come up in the organization, they will have to bring in more guys through free agency. I really like the idea of Nate Schmidt or Nick Perbix. Both guys can contribute offensively and play big and physical. Any of these defensemen would have an impact though. I think the biggest concern is overpaying, something we can't afford to do with the limited cap space we have.