Report: Avalanche One of Many Teams Interested in Nikolaj Ehlers

It was reported earlier on Tuesday that Nikolaj Ehlers is unlikely to make a decision on July 1.

The 29-year-old forward became the hottest free agent on the market following the Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, Aaron Ekblad, and Ivan Provorov contract extensions with their respective clubs. And of course, the Mitch Marner sign-and-trade that sent him from Toronto to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Prior to announcing his retirement, TSN Insider Bob McKenzie provided an update on Ehlers. He said several teams are speaking with the longtime Winnipeg Jets goalscorer.

Among those teams? The Colorado Avalanche.

The Avs haven’t made any notable UFA signings on the first day of free agency, and this could be why. Given their limited cap space, perhaps general manager Chris MacFarland’s priority is to sign Ehlers. If it doesn’t end up in Colorado’s favor, then shifting towards trade targets is likely the way to go.

It would be a huge moment if the Avalanche pull it off. Colorado hasn’t signed a UFA from another team for more than a $4 million AAV since 2018. And Ehlers might be their biggest ever.

The addition of someone like that could mean a lot of things. And it would all but certainly shift focus to Martin Necas, who is a year away from unrestricted free agency status.

We’ll see how things unfold in the coming days.