The NHL free agency starts tomorrow. Teams are hoping to improve key areas from last year. The Colorado Avalanche want to sign a defenseman or two who can handle the puck from the blue line. Colorado has between $13 million and $15 million to spend on free agents. Who could Colorado make a deal with? Here are some possibilities.
Andrej Sekera is a defenseman Colorado should have high on their list. He is a left-handed shot which Colorado is seeking. He doesn’t have the goal scoring ability of Tyson Barrie but he can set up his teammates. Last year he had 20 assists. He would be an upgrade as he can move the puck around.
Another defenseman Colorado should consider is Mike Green. It’s surprising Washington is willing to let him go. He had 10 goals and 35 assists for a total of 45 points last season. That’s a respectable number for a defenseman. If Colorado were to acquire him, they should pair him up with Tyson Barrie. That would be a lot of firepower. He is a right-handed shot, which Colorado may not need. The other problem with Mike Green is his salary. He was paid $6.25 million last year. That could be half of what the Avalanche can spend on free agents. The Avalanche don’t want to spend more than $3 million or $4 million so they have more flexibility trying to lure more free agents.
A left-handed defenseman on the market is Francois Beauchemin. The Ducks are willing to let him test free agency but they may re-sign him. Colorado is a perfect fit. He had 11 goals and 12 assists last year. He can move the puck around and find an open teammate. He would be an upgrade for the Colorado Avalanche.
The final defenseman Colorado might consider is Johnny Oduya. He is not a skater who can score from the blue line. Oduya is a left-handed shot, just what Colorado is looking for. He had 2 goals and 8 assists in the regular season for Chicago. In the playoffs, Oduya had 5 assists while playing big minutes in the Stanley Cup Finals. Oduya isn’t a great scorer but he would be an upgrade on defense. He can block shots and clear the puck away from goalie Semyon Varlamov. Oduya would be an acceptable choice for the Avalanche. They desire a defenseman able to block shots, who better than Oduya.
Colorado might improve with any of these players. It’s a matter of how much they are willing to spend for a player. Depending on the amount they use on defensemen, they may turn their attention to adding a forward. We will need to wait and see what happens on day one of free agency tomorrow.
Who should the Colorado Avalanche sign?
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