Thanks to thedoctor for this link that confirms what we all knew was coming - Jaroslav Hlinka is headed back to Europe, signing with a Swedish club. That is a Swedish club, right?
Even though we all knew he wouldn't be back, I'm sorry to see Hlinka go. I enjoyed watching him play - especially when he was on his game, which, unfortunately, wasn't quite often enough. I think with a little more seasoning he could be a useful player in the NHL, but the Avs just didn't have the luxury of giving him the ice time he needed to develop. I wonder what would have happened if he'd come over the season before...
I'm not sure that Hlinka really counts as part of the following group, but this does follow the trend of NHL veterans heading over (or back) to Europe as their NHL flames dwindle. It's just May and already we've seen Petteri Nummelin (one of the few players who hit less than Tyler Arnason) head to Switzerland while Chris Simon and John Grahame are on their way to Russia. Hlinka is the 3rd Avalanche to head back across the pond in two years (Antti Laaksonen and Ossi Vaananen went to Europe last summer). That's great news for Arnie, as that gives him several roommate options when he makes his own move next year.