Colorado Avalanche make first move of offseason, re-sign key veteran

The Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup just nine days ago, but the offseason moves have already begun.

The team announced on Tuesday that they’ve re-signed veteran Andrew Cogliano to a one-year deal that will see him return to the Avs for the 2022-23 season. Cogliano was a free agent.

“Andrew was such a big part of our Stanley Cup championship with his leadership and veteran presence,” Avs GM Joe Sakic said in a release from the team. “He battled back from various injuries throughout the playoffs and played key minutes for us when we needed it the most. He’s a great teammate who works hard on and off the ice and sets a great example for the rest of the group. We’re excited to have him back for another season.”

The Avalanche traded for Cogliano at the NHL trade deadline from the San Jose Sharks. He didn’t score in 18 regular season games and tallied just one assist. But Cogliano was big in the playoffs, scoring three goals and adding three assists. He also underwent surgery for a broken hand / wrist during the postseason, but ended up missing just one game.

Sakic has a number of tough decisions to make this offseason, with guys like Nazem Kadri, Valeri Nichushkin, Andre Burakovsky and Darcy Kuemper free agents as well. He checked one box on Tuesday, with plenty of work still to be done to make sure Colorado can defend its title.
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