Should The Avalanche Re-Sign Sean Walker & Predicting Avalanche Free Agent Contracts
Also, how important it is for the Avalanche to keep Casey Mittelstadt with his growth as a player
Welcome to the THW Colorado Avalanche Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Avalanche writers.
Should the Avalanche Re-Sign Sean Walker?
May 31, 2024 by Stefano Rubino
After the Colorado Avalanche acquired Sean Walker at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, he started strong, taking eight shots on goal in just his second game with the team and scoring two goals a few nights later. However, his performance seemed to decline over time. Walker will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and the Avalanche will likely want to keep him. The question is, can they afford him? Should they allocate their funds toward someone who will essentially be a third-pairing defenseman for them?
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Avalanche Must Make Room for Casey Mittelstadt
May 31, 2024 by Kerry Collins
The salary cap isn’t the friend of the Colorado Avalanche right now. After knocking a number of draft picks out of the park in recent years, the other side of that double-edged sword is starting to cut into the Avs roster. Still potentially sitting in a window to make another championship run, Colorado is going to have to make some tough decisions this summer. The 25-year-old was a major contributor down the stretch and during the postseason, filling a gap at second-line center the Avalanche had been trying to fill for years. His price tag is about to go up, but the Avs will have to get creative to make sure he stays on the roster going forward.
Predicting Contracts for the Avalanche’s 2024 Pending Free Agents
May 28, 2024 by Marko Zlomislic
Now, let’s dive into the Avalanche’s free agents. Each player is accompanied by Evolving Hockey’s free agent contract projections. These projections are based on historical comparisons which take age, position, production, and whether a player is an unrestricted (UFA) or restricted (RFA) free agent into account.
The projections are presented with the most probable term (in years) and average annual value (AAV) of a given free agent’s next contract, though extenuating circumstances (such as the team’s cap crunch) may have an impact on the final terms of a deal.