Colorado Avalanche News

Wagner signed a one-year, two-way contract with Colorado in the offseason and is expected to miss at least the first three months of the 2023-24 season due to a ruptured Achilles. The 32-year-old forward had 19 goals, 12 assists, 69 PIMs and a -5 plus/minus with the Providence Bruins (AHL) in 2022-23 and was hoping to make a push for a final roster position on the Avalanche prior to his injury.

Cogliano has not played since Game 6 of Colorado's opening series vs. Seattle in the 2022-23 playoffs due to a neck injury and is day-to-day to start training camp but is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season. The 36-year-old veteran forward finished 2022-23 with 10 goals, nine assists, 85 SOG, 44 PIMs and a +6 plus/minus in his second season in Colorado. 2023-24 will mark his 17th NHL season.

Makar will miss the start of training camp with an undisclosed injury but is expected to be back on the ice next week and should be good to go for the start of the regular season. The 24-year-old one-time Norris Trophy Winner had 17 goals, 49 assists, 176 SOG, 30 PIMs and a +16 plus/minus through 60 games played in 2022-23 and will be hoping to complete a full 82-game season for the first time in his career this year.

Francouz was 8-7-1 with a .915 SV%, and 2.61 GAA in 2022-23 with Colorado but is likely to not be ready for the regular season as he had off-season adductor surgery with serious concern that he could miss "some time". The 33-year-old netminder has had his career decimated by consistent injuries since coming to the NHL in 2018-19 and has never appeared in more than 34 games (2019-20). The Avalanche have made it known that they are in the hunt for a replacement back-up goaltender while Francouz nurses his latest ailment.

Stienburg was drafted by Colorado in the 3rd round of the 2019 draft (63rd overall) and has signed the center to a two-year, entry-level contract. The 22-year-old made his professional debut in 2022-23 with the Colorado Eagles (AHL) as he had an assist and five PIMs across a brief four-game appearance. Prior to the Eagles, he closed out his NCAA career with Cornell (NCAA) where he had two goals, five assists, 18 PIMs, and a -2 plus/minus through 18 games.

Kovalenko had 21 goals, 33 assists, 36 PIMs and a +10 plus/minus through 56 games with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with Colorado. The 23-year-old Russian winger was the Avalanche's 2018 sixth-round pick (171st overall) and is currently loaned out for another season to Torpedo for the 2023-24 season.

Colton had 16 goals, 16 assist, 153 SOG, 50 PIMs and a -8 plus/minus through 81 games with Tampa Bay in 2022-23 and has signed a four-year, $16 million contract ($4,000,000 AAV) with Colorado. The 26-year-old centre was acquired for a 2023 second-round pick back in June and brings 47 goals and 83 points across 190 games played to the Avalanche.

Ludvig had three goals, 14 assists, 72 PIMs and a +18 plus/minus through 54 games with Charlotte (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Florida Panthers. The 22-year-old defensemen was Florida's 2019 third-round pick (69th overall) and has yet to make his NHL debut after three seasons in the AHL.

Mandolese was 1-2-0 with a 3.29 GAA and .916 SV% with Ottawa in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract extension ($775,000 AAV). The 22-year-old netminder was drafted in the sixth-round of the 2018 draft (157th overall) and made his NHL debut in 2022-23 after playing in both the AHL and ECHL in the same season.

de Haan had two goals, 10 assists, 51 SOG, 20 PIMs and a +7 plus/minus through 53 games with Carolina in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year contract worth $775,000. The 32-year-old journeyman defenseman will be joining his fourth NHL team in 2023-24, bring 573 career games played and 131 points (21G/110A) to Tampa Bay.

Annunen appeared in two regular season games in 2022-23 posting a 1-1-0 record, 3.58 GAA and .854 SV% with Colorado and has signed a one-year, two-way contract extension ($775,000). The 23-year-old netminder was the Avalanche's 2018 third-round pick (64th overall) and has a 2-1-1 career record with a 3.92 GAA and .859 SV%.

Phillips finished fifth in AHL scoring with Calgary (AHL) in 2022-23 with 36 goals, 40 points, 12 PIMs and a +16 plus/minus through 66 games and has signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Washington Capitals. The 25-year-old right-winger was Calgary's sixth-round pick (166th overall) in 2016 and has played in three career NHL games, failing to pick up a point.

Holm was 18-11-4 with a .911 SV% and 2.67 GAA with the Manitoba Moose (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract with Colorado worth $775,000. The 24-year-old goaltender was Winnipeg's 2017 sixth-round pick (167th overall) and has yet to make his NHL debut since heading to North America from the SHL in 2021-22.

Wagner had 19 goals, 12 assists, 69 PIMs and a -5 plus/minus through 62 games with Providence (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000. The 32-year-old veteran right-winger has 63 points (37G/26A) through 360 career NHL games played after being a fifth-round pick (122nd overall) in 2010 to Anaheim.

Ahcan had five goals, 31 assists, 24 PIMs and a +5 plus/minus through 68 games with Providence (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year, two-way deal worth $1,550,000 ($775,000 AAV) with Colorado. The 26-year-old undrafted defenseman did not play in the NHL last season but has a goal, 10 SOG, and a -6 plus/minus through nine career NHL games.

Cogliano had 10 goals, nine assists, 85 SOG, 44 PIMs and a +6 plus/minus through 79 game with Colorado in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year extension worth $825,000. The 36-year-old journeyman centre will enter his 17th NHL season and has 184 goals, and 445 points across 1219 career games played.

Drouin had two goals, 27 assists, 69 SOG, 18 PIMs and a -18 plus/minus through 58 games with Montreal in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year deal worth $825,000 with Colorado. The 28-year-old left-winger joins his third NHL team and is reacquainted with his old junior lineman in superstar Nathan MacKinnon. Through 485 career games played, he has 77 goals, 204 assists, and 94 power play points.

Wood had 13 goals, 14 assists, 167 SOG, 76 PIMs and a +1 plus/minus through through 76 game with New Jersey and has signed a six-year contract worth $15.0 million ($2.5M AAV) with Colorado. The 27-year-old left-winger leaves New Jersey after eight successful seasons which saw him score 78 goals and 148 points in 402 career games played.

Colton has been a solid middle-6 forward for the Lightning over the last two seasons, scoring 38 goals with 33 assists (71 points) while compiling 341 hits in 160 games. The Avalanche were in desperate need of bottom-6 help, with J.T. Compher, Lars Eller, Evan Rodrigues, Darren Helm, Matt Nieto and Andrew Cogliano all still unsigned and set to become UFAs on Saturday.