:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72418716/usa_today_7946875.0.jpg)
Today is the start of the new league year and officially the beginning of the 2023-24 season. Thus, any free agent is available to sign a new contract and teams will hurriedly fill out their roster before retreating to the cottage for the rest of the summer.
It is an interesting market because of one final year of the flat salary cap with an expected jump of at least four million dollars on the horizon for the next year. Numerous buyouts and non-qualified Restricted Free Agents make a perennial weak Unrestricted Free Agent market at least a little more interesting.
The Colorado Avalanche still has a lot of work to do despite an already busy week of transactions. There’s about $15.5 million in cap left for Chris MacFarland to use but a good chunk of that needs reserving for Bowen Byram and Ross Colton’s RFA contracts. Therefore, a few pennies are left for roughly four forwards and a sixth defenseman and we’ll see how creative the organization gets to fill those needs. They might wait the market out a few days to see which players get antsy and strike then so today might be quieter than expected.
Elliotte Friedman said on @FAN590 today that he's heard the #Avs are likely going to sign players to one-year deals. Guys who would then be able to get back into the market next summer when the salary cap rises.
— Aarif Deen (@runwriteAarif) June 30, 2023
Even if it is quiet on the Avs front, it won’t be quiet on the Mile High Hockey Lab Podcast LIVE show today starting at 9:30 a.m. MT. We will be going over the NHL Draft, along with whatever ensues when free agency opens. Be sure to follow along on YouTube, Twitter, and Twitch!
Who is on your wish list? Also, any last-minute predictions? Follow along with the tweets and comments!
Loading comments...