NFL Tickets
The Colorado Avalanche were one of the biggest disappointments in the NHL last season coming off a year where they surprisingly won the Central Division. They may have lost Paul Statsny, but they added one of the best players of this generation in Jarome Iginla. All signs pointed to them making more strides with a very good team. Unfortunately, it all fell apart pretty quickly.
They came into this offseason knowing there were big holes that needed to be filled. They ranked 22nd in goals per game and second to last in power play percentage. Those are numbers that equal to missing the playoffs.
They started off by trading for Carl Soderberg from the Boston Bruins. All they gave up for his rights was a sixth-round pick that was originally the Bruins’ pick anyway (it was a part of the Max Talbot trade). They signed Soderberg to a five-year deal with a cap hit that comes in under $5 million, and he’s a great two-way center who will really help this team.
The Ryan O’Reilly saga in Colorado finally ended, and it could have been a huge bullet avoided by Avalanche management. They received Nikita Zadorov, Mikhail Grigorenko, a prospect from the Buffalo Sabres and a second-round pick in exchange for O’Reilly and Jamie McGinn. Not two weeks later, O’Reilly is facing charges in Canada tied to a drunk driving accident that could yield fines and possibly a suspension from the NHL. That also comes after the Sabres gave him a seven-year deal that brings an average value of $7.5 million. The Avalanche definitely got out at the perfect time.
The Avalanche also made some decent moves in free agency. They brought in some veteran leadership on the blue line by giving a three-year deal to former Anaheim Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin. He will provide some really good play next season and can lead a relatively young crop of defenders. They also signed one of the most underrated free agents in Blake Comeau. He can provide 15-20 goals coming from your bottom six, which was atrocious for the Avalanche last season.
The only thing the Avs did not do was upgrade the goaltender position, but they would like to see if Semyon Varlamov can turn around a turbulent season. The Avalanche improved and are real contenders in the Central Division. They had one of the best offseasons in the NHL.
Offseason Grade: A-
Nick Villano is the NHL feature writer for Rant Sports. He also adds to the site’s NBA, MLB and NFL content. You can follow him on Twitter or add him to your Google circle.
Share 
