The Avalanche make a bit of a surprise cut as season creeps closer

The Colorado Avalanche made a bit of a surprise cut on Thursday, releasing veteran Pierre-Edouard Bellemare from his tryout contract with the team.

Many thought Bellemare would be Colorado’s fourth-line center when the team opens the regular season next Wednesday night in Las Vegas, but that won’t be the case.

https://x.com/Avalanche/status/1841882235361804490

Bellemare played with the Avs during the 2019-2020 season as well as the 2020-2021 season. He then spent the next two years with the Lightning, where ironically he lost the Stanley Cup to the Avalanche in 2022. He played last year in Seattle with the Kraken, but had just seven points in 40 games.

Hence why Colorado was able to bring Bellemare in on a tryout, but not a guaranteed deal. It seemed like it was a formality he’d be offered a contract with the Avs at some point for this season, but GM Chris MacFarland and head coach Jared Bednar are going in a different direction.

At 39-years-old it’s a blow to Bellemare, as he might have played his last game in the NHL. Colorado will look to go younger at the position, with guys like Parker Kelly and Ivan Ivan still in the mix. T.J. Tynan and Chris Wagner are veterans hanging around as well.

Plus, don’t rule out the Avalanche looking elsewhere as other teams settle their rosters and make surprise cuts. Unfortunately, that happened to Bellemare in Colorado on Thursday.

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