All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily — August 29.

Colorado Hockey Now

Brent Burns and Gabe Landeskog are becoming staples of the Avalanche’s informal skates at Ball Arena. But so are a handful of AHL guys looking to make an impression at training camp. Guys like Nikita Prishchepov, Maros Jedlicka, Matthew Stienburg, Chase Bradley, Sean Behrens, Gavin Brindley and many more.

I suspect we’ll see a ton more veterans trickle into town soon. Things are kicking off in less than three weeks.

READ MORE: Landeskog, Burns, Among Avalanche Participants In Recent Skates 

Around The NHL

Marner Chats with Mark Masters: Mitch Marner say down with TSN’s Mark Masters at the Hockey Canada orientation camp to discuss what ended up being a sad ending for the local kid from his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. Among the things Marner talked about was how safety started becoming an issue. Someone in the city posted his address online following the Game 7 loss and Marner had to spend his last few weeks at home under heavy security. You can read more about his interview here. Pretty crazy stuff.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Connor McDavid is the best hockey player in the world, but he’s not captain Canada. Not while Sidney Crosby is still around. Even at the age of 38.

Detroit Hockey Now: One of Detroit’s former highly touted prospects is facing a four-year doping ban from the IIHF after testing positive for a whopping six banned substances.

Boston Hockey Now: Can the Bruins be a landing spot for McDavid if he actually tests the market next summer? I still believe he’ll stay in Edmonton and probably sign soon. And even if not, it’s hard to imagine Boston would be his top choice.

San Jose Hockey Now: What Dmitry Orlov can bring to the Sharks.

The post Deen’s Daily: Avalanche Skating in Colorado; Marner Talks Unceremonious Departure From Toronto appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

As players have started to trickle into town to prepare for training camp and the new season, the captain has led the charge for skates at Family Sports. Informal practices with Gabe Landeksog present and a full participant? That’s a nice change. It’s been four long years since we’ve seen this.

Among the others that have skated in recent weeks, Brent Burns is in town and on the ice. Brock Nelson also skated before making his way to Plymouth, Mich., for the USA Hockey orientation camp. And of course, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews are in Calgary for Canada’s camp.

The Avs also have quite a few younger players skating. Nikita Prishchepov has been a staple of these skates, as well as Zakhar Bardakov, Sean Behrens, and recently, Gavin Brindley.

Behrens will participate in the rookie showcase at South Suburban Sports Complex in Highlands Ranch coming up on Sept. 12. And Brindley, Colorado’s most recent trade acquisition, is hoping to find a role with the club after being part of the deal that sent Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

I’d suspect next week after Labor Day is when these skates will start to intensify on a regular basis. Perhaps that includes appearances from other notables like Mackenzie Blackwood, Valeri Nichushkin, Artturi Lehkonen, and Martin Necas.

The Avs open camp three weeks from today — on Sept. 18 at Family Sports. And per usual, all skates at that rink will be open to the public.

The post Landeskog, Burns Among Avalanche Participating in Recent Skates appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Everyone from Chris MacFarland as general manager to Jared Bednar as head coach should be feeling the pressure.

This is the year when the excuses shouldn’t be a factor. There’s no more waiting for Gabe Landeskog. The expectation is that Valeri Nichushkin is healthy and ready to rock from the get-go. You have solid goaltending. Your starter is locked up, and your backup is one of the best in the league — a nice clap back to the days of Pavel Francouz. You have a second-line center. And this time it’s someone with veteran experience and a proven track record of reliability in the regular season and production in the playoffs.

You have Nathan MacKinnon in his prime.

You have Cale Makar in his prime.

Yet you’ve only won one series since that legendary night in Tampa Bay that ended with a Stanley Cup championship. It hasn’t been good enough. But it should be much more than that this season.

Here are three things I’d like to see from the Avs for this to be their year.

Top Six: The Best Ability is Availability

The Avs have had arguably the best top six in the NHL on paper for most of the past three years. But on paper didn’t always translate to on-ice availability.

Landeskog hasn’t played in three full seasons. In the first year, he was replaced with Evan Rodrigues, who had 39 points in 69 games. In the last two seasons, the Avs had Jonathan Drouin, who did an admirable job. Drouin produced at a clip of 62 points per 82 games in Colorado.

The problem wasn’t his production. It was his availability. He missed more than 25% of the regular season games in the last two years. And that came after Rodrigues missed 13 games. In total, Landeskog’s replacement in the top six has missed 55 games in three seasons — which comes out to 18 per season. That’s a lot of hockey for such a big piece of the roster.

And with all due respect to both of them, they were not as good as Landeskog in years past. They didn’t have his leadership, physicality, and net-front presence. The Avs finally have their captain back. He was solid in his short playoff stint and should be a factor moving forward. Even if he’s not producing at his 2022 rate.

Then there’s the second-line center issue. Somehow, in three seasons, the Avs have managed to have five players slot into that role.

READ MORE: Avalanche Depth Chart: Lineup Coming Together but Still an Unfinished Product

J.T. Compher did a fine job punching above his weight class in 2022-23, but he was slotted into it because Alex Newhook couldn’t develop into that role. Then there was the failed Ryan Johansen experiment, the Bowen Byram-for-Casey Mittelstadt blunder, before the team ultimately landed on Brock Nelson.

The 33-year-old has played 246 consecutive games after missing 10 games in 2021-22 with an injury. And before that, Nelson missed only two games in seven seasons. That’s the type of reliability the Avs need. And they should have it with their new full-time 2C.

Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen are two of the best two-way checking forwards in the game. But the fact that they’ve missed 96 and 68 games, respectively, over the past three seasons, is a huge problem. That averages out to 32 per year for Nichushkin and 22 for Lehkonen.

Let’s put that into perspective.

Since 2022-23, Nichushkin has averaged 42 goals in every 96 games and Lehkonen 29 goals per 68 games. That’s a lot of offense they’ve missed. And that doesn’t include what missing them did to the ice time of MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, who were far and away the two most-used forwards over the last three years.

Rantanen is gone now, and Martin Necas should be here for the foreseeable future. This will be the first year with Necas as a full-time member of the roster. If he can continue to elevate his production, I see no problem with him being a key piece of this team moving forward.

All five of these guys, the five that will make up the top two lines with MacKinnon, were not in the lineup for opening night a year ago. All for different reasons.

MacFarland built a top six that can win. They need to be available to achieve that goal.

Organizational Fit: Be More Strategic with Future Acquisitions

Basically, find the right depth pieces. It’s easier said than done.

When the Avs won the Cup in 2022, they hit on a depth acquisition in Andrew Cogliano at the trade deadline. In the following years, guys like Lars Eller, Yakov Trenin, Brandon Duhaime, Juuso Parssinen, and Jimmy Vesey were all misses.

When they won in 2022, Josh Manson came in and made an impact. They didn’t get that same impact from Sean Walker in 2024 or Ryan Lindgren in 2025.

When they needed help in the middle of the year, they picked up Nicolas Aube-Kubel off waivers, and he was a mainstay of the roster throughout the regular season and a key depth piece for the playoff run. Since then, they’ve gotten pretty much nothing out of recent waiver claims like John Ludvig and Ivan Prosvetov.

Darren Helm wasn’t supposed to be the fourth-line center in the playoffs in 2022 and was barely a factor in the regular season. The front office went out and acquired Nico Sturm to play that role. But the veteran forward, who played on the wing all year, was shifted to center and did everything and more that was asked of him. Nowadays, the coaching staff is struggling to find fits for players. Tomas Tatar was here, and then he was gone, before he had a chance to find his place. That’s just one example.

And that doesn’t even include their ability in the past to find the right type of players. They once added Nazem Kadri to be their 2C. His willingness to do anything it takes to win was an attribute missing from Johansen and Mittelstadt.

How has the pro scouting department fallen this much?

READ MORE: Former Avs Center Achieves Life-Long Dream — Awarded Captaincy for Winter Olympics

You have to hit on those depth moves. Every additional NHL-capable player you have at your disposal is a boost to your lineup. That’s part of the reason why I like the Joel Kiviranta signing. I’d much rather they get a guy they know can play 10+ minutes per night and do a good job, then to try and sign someone for a couple hundred thousand dollars less and end up with an unplayable player.

Missing on a depth piece — even a fourth liner — means you have to go out later and trade third-round picks for guys like Duhaime or Trenin, or a second for Eller because Anton Blidh and Lukas Sedlak were failed signings.

The Avalanche need depth pieces right now. And the fact that they’re being patient makes me feel like they’re well aware that they can’t get this wrong. Trying to replace a failed depth piece later isn’t easy when you’re short on tradeable assets.

Bring in Tougher Defensemen to Play Against

Is Brent Burns enough to change the tune of the defense? I certainly don’t think he is. And I say this as someone who loves the signing for Colorado.

The reality is, the blueline is a big part of the reason why the Avs have struggled to win playoff games in recent years

The Dallas Stars are a tough team to play against. And if you get past them and the rest of the Central Division, you’re probably going to struggle with the size and physicality of the Vegas Golden Knights. Which, by the way, were no match for the Edmonton Oilers’ physicality just two months ago.

Everyone else is beefing up. Colorado needs to adapt.

The Avs have hitched their wagon to Manson for the foreseeable future, and they have their top pair locked up. Between those three, and Burns, you’ve got four solid pieces of your defense.

Then there’s Sam Malinski, who they signed for a year, which walks him to unrestricted free agency next summer. But they still added another righty in Burns afterward. So, do they trust Malinski as a full-time NHLer? If they do, are they planning on shifting him to the left? Or is he a tradeable asset that they plan on using to bring in someone else before the trade deadline?

And of course, Samuel Girard rounds out the group. He’s the only piece of the bottom two pairs who didn’t sign a contract with the Avs this summer. Which is why I’ve continued to write about him being a potential trade candidate. They want to shake up the blueline, they’re not trading Devon Toews or Makar, and they signed the other three guys over the last six weeks.

So where does that leave Girard?

Regardless of what they choose to do, I just can’t imagine that Burns in and Lindgren out is the only change they wanted. They have to figure out a way to get bigger, stronger, and tougher to play against.

The post 3 Things Standing Between the Avalanche and Another Long Stanley Cup Run appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Here’s everything we’ve seen from Colorado since the beginning of June:

• June 4: Pending UFA Brock Nelson signed a three-year contract carrying a $7.5 million AAV.
• June 20: Jason Polin and Matthew Stienburg signed one-year, two-way deals for league minimum to likely play for AHL Eagles.
• June 27: Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood traded to Columbus for Gavin Brindley and draft picks.
• June 30: Trent Miner signed a two-year, two-way contract for league minimum to play for AHL Eagles.
• June 30: RF Sam Malinski signed a one-year contract worth $1.4 million for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
• July 1: Parker Kelly signed a four-year extension that starts in 2026-27, carrying a $1.7 million AAV.
• July 1: Ron Attard, T.J. Tynan, and Jack Ahcan all signed one-year, two-way deals for league minimum, likely as staples on the AHL Eagles roster.
• July 2: Brent Burns signed a one-year bonus laden contract, carrying a $1 million cap hit + $4 million in potential bonuses.
• July 4: Alex Barre-Boulet signed a one-year, two-way deal for league minimum, likely as a staple on the AHL Eagles roster.
• July 10: Josh Manson signed a two-year extension that starts in 2026-27, carrying a $3.95 million AAV.

1. Most teams are pretty much set, but I still stand by my thought that we’ll see more notable movement before opening night. There are too many teams with too many questions for it to not happen.

Maybe arbitration settlements will re-engage clubs. For example, the Maple Leafs seemingly have too many bottom six forwards and another in RFA Nick Robertson, who has an arbitration date on the horizon.

What are they going to do with their roster?

2. I believe two things have frozen the trade market. One, way too many teams think they’ve got a shot at the playoffs, and it might take 15–25 games until reality settles in for some of the bottom feeders.

I always like using the 2022-23 St. Louis Blues as an example. Nobody expected that team to drop off the way it did coming off a competitive second-round series against the Avs. But they did, and it led to Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly, among others, being moved before the deadline. I would’ve never imagined either of those two leaving St. Louis.

So which team(s) will it be this time? If the Predators start terribly again, I’d imagine Barry Trotz might decide to blow it all up. Will Steve Stamkos be made available? Jonathan Marchessault? O’Reilly? Teams will actually have the cap space to add guys like that with term.

That’s just one of many examples of how quickly a team can adjust its plan and make really good players available for trade.

And second, I just think GMs are taking a bit of a breather. Maybe most of them are using late July to spend time with their families before getting back to it. There are no actual deadlines right now.

3. UFA’s Jack Roslovic, Victor Olofsson, and Matt Grzelcyk are all way too good to not be on opening night rosters. Even Joel Kiviranta is still out there. At some point, these guys are all going to sign, and maybe teams who miss out on them will start to maneuver.

4. Which brings me to the Avs. Their total moves since the Nelson deal are not all that many. They cleared cap space for a reason, and I’m still intrigued to see what they do with it.

I understand the frustrations of losing Coyle and Wood without any NHL players coming in, but the cap space will be used. Whether it’s now, in September, or during the year. I do think we’ll see something happen.

I would’ve loved to see Coyle stay, but I can’t stop thinking that the team probably didn’t feel like they were going to utilize him in a way to justify that cap hit. Now they have flexibility.

5. Speaking of flexibility, PuckPedia currently has the Avs listed at just over $4.1 million in available cap space. It’s actually slightly more than that because this also accounts for Stienburg, Ivan Ivan, and Tye Felhaber. They probably won’t be on the roster when all is said and done.

Anyway, more importantly, that $4.123 million is actually $18+ million in trade deadline cap space. They finally have the ability to make mid-season and deadline moves without needing to account for salary retention.

It’s a far cry from last year, when they were barely able to add Erik Johnson’s $1 million cap hit at the eleventh hour.

This management group has spent years making moves with little space. Now they have space, albeit not many assets. But still, more will come.

6. Speaking of which, I’m fascinated at the two targets they were reportedly interested in until the very end. They already had a plan to use their cap space.

It sounds like they were the runner-up in the Jonathan Toews sweepstakes, and it’s clear they had him targeted as their 3C.

Toews made his decision a week before Coyle was traded. That means the Avs were looking for a 3C well before the draft and that trade with the Blue Jackets. That also reminds me that even if they start the season with Jack Drury in that slot, I don’t think they’re going to end the year like that unless it goes very, very well.

They were also in on Nikolaj Ehlers until the end, and that one is even more fascinating. The Avs have their top six locked up. Valeri Nichushkin, Nathan MacKinnon, Brock Nelson, and Gabe Landeskog are all under contract for the foreseeable future. Artturi Lehkonen, making just $4.5 million for two more years, is a big hit at that number.

So, was the Ehlers move a sign that they’re not close on an extension with Martin Necas and are entertaining the idea of moving him? It’s the only reasonable scenario I can think of. Otherwise, it would’ve meant Lehkonen is downgraded to the third line, which kind of makes sense but also doesn’t. He should absolutely be a staple in the top six, if not the first line.

7. So where are we with Necas anyway?

I like the player — despite what some think — and I’d love to see him get a full season with MacKinnon. But I don’t like him as much as Mikko Rantanen, nor do I think he should be making anything close to Rantanen money. It defeats the purpose of that trade and not just paying your superstar.

Again, the Ehlers thing makes me wonder. What are they planning here? Why were they targeting Ehlers in the first place?

8. How many of Yegor Chinakhov, Mason McTavish, and Marco Rossi are actually going to get moved before opening night? I’ll say one.

9. Let’s talk about the defense a little bit. Is Brent Burns instead of Ryan Lindgren enough change on the blueline? I don’t think so, and I can’t imagine the front office believes so either.

I still can’t stop thinking about an eventual Samuel Girard trade. And no, that doesn’t mean I hate the player. It just seems like the scenario that would make the most sense given the Manson extension and recent Burns and Malinski contracts (obviously Cale Makar and Devon Toews are untouchable).

It just seems like we’re in an era where teams are more interested in bigger defensemen than someone like Girard.

10. Not saying there are any reports or rumors connecting the two, but if I had to pick a reasonable option to get in a trade involving Girard, it would be Seattle Kraken’s Jamie Oleksiak.

There are others, but this would be an option that will probably be available at some point and is a pending UFA at the end of the year.

Oleksiak played really well under Dave Hakstol (not that Hakstol is going to run the defense in Colorado.)

The post Offseason Musings: Frozen NHL Trade Market — Are There Too Many Hopeful Teams? appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Thanks again to everyone who submitted a question!

Read More: Avalanche Mailbag 1.0: Stanley Cup Window, Offseason vs Mid-Season Trades, and the Landeskog Effect

Question from Taro Tsujimoto

The post Avalanche Mailbag 2.0: Necas’ Next Contract, Trade Value, and Bottom-Six Depth Uncertainty appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily — July 4.

Colorado Hockey Now

The Avalanche officially lost the Nikolaj Ehlers sweepstakes.

He’s on his way to the Carolina Hurricanes after signing a six-year, $8.5 million AAV contract.

So, if I have this right, the Canes are now going to have $14.5 million against the cap for Logan Stankoven and Ehlers. That’s a bit more than what they were offering Mikko Rantanen before he was sent to Dallas.

What else do the Avs have in mind? Well, we can’t really answer that right now. But Chris MacFarland made it very clear that they’re not done. He’s looking at trade options, keeping tabs on some depth UFA options, and might even circle back with Joel Kiviranta or Erik Johnson.

That logjam on the right side of the blueline is certainly something to keep an eye on. And of course, remaking the third line at forward.

READ MORE: ‘There’s One Big Goal Still’: Burns is Excited to Join Avs

Brent Burns met with media via Zoom on Thursday morning. One of the reasons why he’s still playing and chose the Avalanche as his next destination is exactly what you think.

He wants to win a Stanley Cup.

My colleague Colleen Flynn covered that and other topics from his presser in the story linked above.

Also, you can read my Deen’s View piece below. It’s behind the paywall and covers all my thoughts on what the Burns signing means for the rest of the lineup.

Methinks at least one, if not two other blueliners will be dealt this summer. MacFarland tends to keep us on our toes. So sit tight and enjoy the ride.

READ MORE: Deen’s View: At 40, Burns Isn’t Done Yet — But Where Does He Fit on Colorado’s Blue Line? (+)

Around The NHL

Montreal Hockey Now: The Habs’ blueline is going to look a lot different with Noah Dobson. Here’s a very early roster projection on the back end.

Detroit Hockey Now: Steve Yzerman fought the urge to overpay in free agency for once. But that doesn’t necessarily mean his offseason is done

Boston Hockey Now: So, the Bruins did a lot this week. I’m not sure how much of it actually helps but here we are. Our fine folks at Boston Hockey Now try to make sense of their new depth chart.

The post Deen’s Daily: Ehlers Heads East; Burns Itching For a Stanley Cup; Trades Coming? appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

“I love coming to the rink every day and working. It really is the best. You’re around guys that they’re chasing one goal, there’s just something special about it — all the laughs and working hard together. It’s really special to try to build something together. And I just enjoy that process,” Burns told the media on Thursday via Zoom.

“There’s a lot of different reasons I love that and obviously the biggest one for me is there’s still something to chase. So I’m still super motivated for that. And, yeah, there’s one big goal still.”

Burns has relationships with a few players, which will make his integration into the team a bit easier. He most recently played with Martin Necas and Jack Drury in Carolina, but knows other new teammates.

READ MORE: Deen’s View: At 40, Burns Isn’t Done Yet — But Where Does He Fit on Colorado’s Blue Line? (+)

“Hockey is a pretty small world. I played with Mac (Nathan MacKinnon) before. I’ve come across Brock (Nelson) a little bit. We have some mutual friends in Minnesota. And obviously I know Nechi (Necas) and Jacko (Drury), and there’s a couple other relationships there,” Burns said.

The 6-foot-5 blueliner was drafted in the first round (20th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota Wild. He spent seven seasons with the Wild before being traded to the San Jose Sharks on June 24, 2011. He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2016-17 and was a finalist for the accolade in 2015-16 and 2018-19. After 11 seasons with the Sharks, Burns was traded to the Canes on July 13, 2022.

Playing both forward and defense in his career, Burns has proven a valuable two-way player. His style and experience will undoubtedly fit seamlessly into the Avs’ system and structure.

“Anytime you have a guy that has that kind of experience, to put in with Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon and the other guys that we have that are maybe not quite 40 years old, but they’ve got a lot of miles in this league and have been good players for a long time. So I think he’s going to fit right in with our group,” GM Chris MacFarland said.

READ MORE: Avs Still Have Work to Do After Coyle, Wood, and Brindley Trade

The Barrie, Ontario native had 29 points (6G/23A) and averaged 20:57 of time on ice per game last season. He played a perfect regular season and added five points in 15 Stanley Cup Playoff games. With 1,497 career regular-season games under his belt (eighth-most all-time by a defenseman) and 14 years the wiser than his fellow Norris Trophy-winning teammate, Burns is excited to learn new things from Cale Makar.

“I’ve heard a lot about how he approaches the game and how he is at the rink. I love that,” Burns said. “I’m 40 years old, but I can still learn a lot. And I don’t know if I’ll be able to do any of it, but I love that part. Trying to learn from people around you is such an important thing, and trying to adapt to it.”

Burns’ extensive resume with numerous awards and milestones is exceptional, but the most important of all trophies is missing — which he hopes to add with his new team.

The post ‘There’s One Big Goal Still’: Burns is Excited to Join Avs appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily — July 3.

Colorado Hockey Now

The Avalanche didn’t strike on July 1. They also didn’t sign Nikolaj Ehlers on July 2. Actually, Ehlers still hasn’t made a decision on where he’ll play next, albeit Carolina and Washington are the rumored favorites.

But the Avs did sign Brent Burns, along with his glorious beard. And I’m very, very intrigued by this move. Burns is 40 years old but can provide a lot of things the team needs. His size, penalty-killing prowess, puck-moving ability, and reliability are all great qualities of his game.

His personality as a veteran presence will also mesh well. (I honestly can’t wait to ask him, off the record, about the Carolina Mikko Rantanen experience).

Read More: Veteran Defenseman Brent Burns Agrees To One-Year Deal with Avalanche

Around The NHL

Pius Suter Signs With Blues: The best remaining center on the market has been plucked by the St. Louis Blues, signing for two years with a $4.125 million AAV. I thought he’d get $4.5 million with term, so this isn’t a bad signing at all. I would’ve loved for the Avs to get their hands on this guy for the third line if the money made sense.

NYI Hockey Now: The Islanders are landing the top KHL free agent. Forward Maxim Shabanov signed a one-year entry level contract on Wednesday. Listed at just 5’8, 157 lbs, the 24-year-old has spent his entire career playing in Russia. I’m really curious to see if his game translates. He had 67 points in 65 games last year, before posting 10 goals and 10 assists in 21 postseason games.

Vegas Hockey Now: Want to know how much value right-shot defenseman hold in the NHL these days? Wait until you see the gamble the Vegas Golden Knights made with one of their young RHD.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Speaking of defensemen, the Pens are taking a chance on a young blueliner looking to kickstart his career with a fresh opportunity.

Montreal Hockey Now: Where does Zach Bolduc fit in the Habs’ lineup?

Detroit Hockey Now: The Red Wings signed a depth forward to a two-year deal. Was it even necessary?

Ottawa Hockey Now: Lars Eller is still kickin’ it in the NHL after signing on to join the Ottawa Senators. Where does he fit?

The post Deen’s Daily: Burns Brings the Beard to Denver; Isles Land KHL Star; Ehlers Decision Coming? appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

The post Deen’s View: At 40, Burns Isn’t Done Yet — But Where Does He Fit on Colorado’s Blue Line? (+) appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Burns, 40, appeared in all 82 games last year with the Carolina Hurricanes, compiling six goals and adding 23 assists.

The NHL’s active Iron Man, Burns has played in 925 games, having not missed a game whether with San Jose or Carolina since 2013. Last year he averaged 20:57 per game, the lowest in his career since 2015.

As a righty, Burns adds depth to a right side that includes Cale Makar, Josh Manson, and Sam Malinski. The native of of Barrie, Ontario, Canada is the last remaining active skater that played in the NHL before the 2004-05 lockout.

The post Veteran Defenseman Brent Burns Agrees To One-Year Deal with Avalanche appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.