Avs head coach Jared Bednar reveals why team will let Kuemper leave
Jul 12, 2022, 11:10 AM
When the Avalanche traded for Rangers backup goalie Alexandar Georgiev, it was clear the Darcy Kuemper era in Denver was likely over.
The Avs have since given Georgiev a new three-year deal, and Kuemper’s time in Colorado will be no more. He should find a new NHL home quickly when free agency opens on Wednesday.
Still, it has to be tough for a team coming off a Stanley Cup win to let their starting goaltender walk away, but that’s exactly what the Avalanche will be doing. Kuemper was good (not great) in the postseason, and helped the Avs tremendously in Games 2, 4 and 6 of the Final against the Lightning. So why let Kuemper leave? The short answer is money, or more specifically, salary cap space.
Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar was up in Windsor on Monday, helping open a new golf course, and spoke with 9NEWS sports reporter Jacob Tobey about the Kuemper decision. His answer starts at the :25 second mark.
From earlier today: @Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar officially opened RainDance National Golf Course ⛳️ in Windsor by hitting the 1st ball. I caught up with coach about the offseason, Darcy Kuemper, and Chris MacFarland as the team's new GM @9NEWSSports #9sports #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/ZKFBk2UnzK
— Jacob Tobey (@JacobRTobey) July 12, 2022
“Darcy was great for us. He had some injury troubles in the playoffs, fought through that (and) gave us a great chance to win and obviously got the job done,” Bednar said. “It’s sort of the salary cap era and it is what it is. You know, he’s earned himself a real nice raise. He’s an unrestricted free agent, so I’m thinking on that we probably weren’t able to give him the contract that he deserved and earned.”
With the Avs giving out a huge deal to Valeri Nichushkin and still hopeful on re-signing guys like Josh Manson and Nazem Kadri, it makes sense. Colorado has a plethora of good free agents this offseason, and isn’t going to be able to sign them all. Still, it adds tremendous pressure to the shoulders of Georgiev, as he will be asked to start for a team defending its championship.
Where will Kuemper end up? We should know in about 24 hours, but more importantly for him, it will come with a hefty raise the Avs simply couldn’t afford.
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