Colorado Avalanche sign Ben Meyers to one-year contract

The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Ben Meyers to a one-year contract, the team did not specify whether the deal is one or two-way and what the AAV will be. Meyers split the 2022-23 season between the Avalanche and the Colorado Eagles of the AHL. He scored four goals and zero assists in 39 games with the Avalanche as well as no points in six playoff games. He did better in the AHL, scoring six goals and 24 points in 30 games as one of the top scorers on the Eagles.

The Avalanche originally signed Meyers after he completed three seasons with the University of Minnesota, scoring 41 points in his final season there. It was hoped that he would be able to slot into the Avalanche lineup as the third-line center. He was not able to reach those expectations in his first full season there. At 24 years old, he’s not a prospect anymore but he does have untapped potential that could come out with the right opportunity.

Meyers spent most of his NHL stint on the fourth-line with Andrew Cogliano and Logan O’Connor, both fine players in their own right but not necessarily the right place for an offensively talented player to shine. In the 2022-23 season, Meyers put up a 50.7 CF% while being deployed in the defensive zone 39.6% of the time. Those are positive numbers and could indicate better things to come in the 2023-24 season.

The Avalanche acquired Ryan Johansen and Ross Colton in the offseason to help bolster their center depth. Meyers will start the season behind MacKinnon, Johansen, and Colton on the depth chart but could find a way to move up in the roster if he proves himself and an opportunity arises, such as an injury to one of the guys higher in the lineup.