The Colorado Avalanche have plenty of cap space to spend during free agency, which opened at 10:00 a.m. MT, and the team's first move was to sign John Mitchell, a center who played for the New York Rangers this past season, according to TSN's Darren Dreger:
John Mitchell gets $1.1 million per year. $2.2 total in Colorado.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 1, 2012
He scored five goals and totaled 16 points this past season. This was his fourth year in the league after playing the first three with the Toronto Maple Leafs. His best season was his rookie one back in 2008-09 when he scored 12 goals and tallied 29 points.
The Avalanche are also close to a deal with defenseman Matt Carkner, according to the Denver Post's Adrian Dater.
For more coverage, visit our Avalanche blog Mile High Hockey. For more news and notes around the league, head over to SB Nation NHL.