SB Nation Denver - Avalanche Offseason 2012: Jean-Sebastien Giguere Agrees To 1- Year Extension

Avalanche center Matt Duchene signs with team in Sweden during NHL lockout

2012-10-02T23:25:35Z

It was announced by the NHL on Tuesday that Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene has signed for Frolunda of the Elitserien in Sweden. Duchene's move to the Elitserien continues a trend of NHL players signing in Europe since the NHL lockout wiped out the preseason.

Duchene is coming off of his worst season statistically as an Avs player, putting up 14 goals and 14 assists while battling a myriad of injuries throughout the 2011/2012 campaign. He has scored 65 goals for the team since they picked him up as the No. 3 pick of the 2009 draft, amassing 219 NHL appearances in an Avalanche sweater.

Semyon Varlamov became the first Avs player to sign overseas when he inked a contract with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Russian Kontinental Hockey League.

According to Frolunda's press release on the signing, Duchene could be in Sweden and playing with the team as soon as next week.

This story originally appeared at SB Nation.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere Signs 1-Year Extension With Colorado Avalanche

2012-08-13T18:08:32Z

The Colorado Avalanche have reached an agreement on Monday to extend the contract of Jean-Sebastien Giguere for one year, and the extension is reportedly worth $1.5 million for the 35-year-old goalie. According to CapGeek.com, Giguere has a no-move clause in the deal.

Though aging, Giguere went 15-11-3 last year in his first season with the Avalanche, and he recorded a save percentage of .919 in 30 starts. He also had a goals-against average of 2.27 and had two shutouts on the season.

The Montreal, Quebec, native split time at goalie with 24-year-old Semyon Varlamov for Colorado in 2011-12.

Giguere has a career record of 246-206-45 in his 14 NHL seasons, most of which were spent with the Anaheim Ducks. The experienced vet has played in 557 games in his career with 524 starts and 36 shutouts to his name. Drafted 13th by the Carolina Hurricanes in 1995, he's also played for the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs.

For more on the Colorado Avalanche, head over to Mile High Hockey. More on NHL free agency and the rest of the hockey world can be found at SB Nation's NHL hub.

2012 NHL Free Agency: Ryan O'Reilly Still Unsigned, Matt Duchene Contract Possibly To Blame

2012-07-17T18:43:10Z

Ryan O'Reilly remains the only restricted free agent on the Colorado Avalanche that has not yet been signed to a new contract. He became the last man standing when Jamie McGinn got a two year, $3.5 million contract.

A deal for O'Reilly was expected to be made after Matt Duchene got re-signed, with the terms of that contract being a start point for the slightly less talented but similarly productive O'Reilly. Duchene ended up signing for two years and $7 million, which at the time was perceived to be a hometown discount sort of price for a guy with Duchene's high potential.

Adrian Dater of the Denver Post thinks that Duchene's contract might be holding up an O'Reilly deal because he signed for so much less than expected:

Here’s a question: Did Matt Duchene’s two-year, $7 million contract hurt O’Reilly’s leverage at all? After all, he and Duchene came into the league the same year, and Duchene put up a lot more points in those first two years than O’Reilly. O’Reilly had the better third year, for sure, but now that a marketplace has been set on the Avs for a player of O’Reilly’s "comparables", has it made things tougher for what he and his agent might have desired on a new deal?

It won't be a problem unless the re-signing saga continues to go until September or so, the two sides still have two months to work out a deal and there's very little chance that the Avalanche don't keep their talented young center. Right now, the news on a possible deal is slow but there's not much else for them to take care of this off season.

For more on the Colorado Avalanche, head over to Mile High Hockey. More on NHL free agency and the rest of the hockey world can be found at SB Nation's NHL hub.

Avalanche Offseason 2012: Forward Jamie McGinn Agrees To Two-Year Contract

2012-07-13T21:01:11Z

The Colorado Avalanche have officially come to terms with restricted free agent winger Jamie McGinn on a two year deal valued at $3.5million. McGinn was initially reported to be heading to salary arbitration.

Adrian Dater of the Denver Post confirms the specifics of the deal.

Jamie McGinn will make $1.65 million this year, $1.85 million the second year
— adater (@adater) July 13, 2012

McGinn, 23, enjoyed a breakout 2011-2012 season with the San Jose Sharks by scoring 12 goals in just 61 games. The Colorado Avalanche acquired him at the trade deadline in exchange for forwards Daniel Winnik and TJ Galiardi, and McGinn had a terrific finish to the season while wearing an Avalanche sweater.

With eight goals and 13 points during the final 17 games of the year, McGinn ensured himself of a solid payday with Colorado. The two year deal allows him some financial security, and gives the Avalanche a young, cost controlled winger that could score 15 or more goals in a season.

With the signing, center Ryan O'Reilly remains the final restricted free agent yet to be signed for 2012-2013.

For more coverage, visit our Avalanche blog Mile High Hockey.

NHL Free Agency 2012: Peter Mueller Agrees To Terms With Florida Panthers

2012-07-12T01:53:02Z

Peter Mueller, who Colorado Avalanche, for parts of the last three seasons, has agreed to a one-year contract with the Florida Panthers worth $1,725,000.

Panthers signs Peter Mueller 1 year/ $1 725 000
— Renaud P Lavoie (@RenLavoieRDS) July 12, 2012

Muelller appeared in 32 games for the Avs last season, totaling seven goals and nine assists. Mueller was the eighth overall pick in the 2006 NHL Draft, and he was acquired by Colorado from the Phoenix Coyotes in March of 2010. But Mueller has had trouble fulfilling his considerable potential mostly due to concussion issues, which have dogged him since late in 2010, forcing him to miss the entire 2010-2011 season.

The Panthers, though, are willing to roll the dice on Mueller, betting that he'll be closer to the player that scored 54 in 2007-2008.

For more on the Colorado Avalanche, head over to Mile High Hockey. More on NHL free agency and the rest of the hockey world can be found at SB Nation's NHL hub.

NHL Free Agency: Shane Doan Unlikely To Sign With Avalanche

2012-07-10T18:13:04Z

Long time Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan has been linked with several different NHL teams since the start of NHL Free Agency, and the Colorado Avalanche have been among them. It made sense, Doan is a veteran and solid player on the ice, who could provide a bit of backbone to the young core that the Avs have put together in the past few years.

Unfortunately, Adrian Dater of the Denver Post made it clear in a Monday article that Doan will most likely not be an Av when it's all said and done. According to Dater, Doan is being linked most heavily at the moment with the San Jose Sharks:

Judging by Bross’s words tonight, Doan may have most interest in signing with the San Jose Sharks. In an email interview with San Jose Mercury News Sharks beat writer David Pollak, Bross said there is "strong mutual interest" between Doan and the Sharks, and that a decision to sign could come Tuesday.

Things may change, but at this point, it seems unlikely we’ll say "Doan Deal" on the Coyotes captain becoming an Av.

With Doan gone and Alexander Semin looking just as unlikely to sign for Colorado, it looks like the Avs are done with any bigger name signings in this season's free agency period unless they pull off a big trade.

For more on the Colorado Avalanche, head over to Mile High Hockey. More on NHL free agency and the rest of the hockey world can be found at SB Nation's NHL hub.

NHL Free Agency 2012: Ryan Stoa Signs 1-Year Deal With Washington Capitals

2012-07-07T21:00:16Z

Ryan Stoa, the 34th overall pick of the Colorado Avalanche in the 2005 NHL Draft, has agreed to a one-year, two-way deal with the Washington Capitals. Despite being a second-round pick, Stoa only played 37 games for the Avalanche in his career with the franchise. Twelve of those came during the 2009-2010 season, and the other 25 came in the 2010-2011 season, with Stoa tallying two goals and two assists. In his pro career, the winger has collected seven points.

Stoa spent all of last season in the AHL with the Lake Erie Monsters, where he tallied 16 goals and 20 assists in 75 games. At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Stoa does have good size for a forward, and the Capitals are banking on there still being some potential left to be extracted.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more on the Avalanche, visit Mile High Hockey. Head over to SB Nation NHL for more news and notes around the league.

Avalanche Free Agency: Colorado Forward Jamie McGinn Files For Salary Arbitration

2012-07-05T23:34:26Z

Colorado Avalanche restricted free agent Jamie McGinn is one of 16 NHL players to file for salary arbitration. The 23-year-old winger came to Colorado from San Jose at the trade deadline and scored eight goals in 17 games with the Avalanche in 2012.

Including his totals with San Jose, McGinn collected 37 points (20 G, 17 A) in 78 games during the 2011-12 season. He set career highs in games played, goals, assists and points.

Prior to coming over to the Avs, McGinn spent 3+ seasons with the Sharks. He has appeared in a total of 221 NHL games over the course of his career and scored 35 goals.

His NHL contract was worth $680,000 during 2011-12.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Denver. For more on the Avalanche, visit Mile High Hockey. Head over to SB Nation NHL for more news and notes around the league.