After not receiving a qualifying offer from the Calgary Flames last week, free agent center Joe Colborne has signed with the Colorado Avalanche, according to Sportsnet’s Darren Dreger. The 19-goal scorer will earn $2.5MM per season for the next two.
With recent rumors swirling about the possibility of Colorado trading Matt Duchene, the Avalanche has added another young forward coming off a tremendous season. After scoring 28 points in his first two full NHL seasons, Colborne exploded for 19 goals and 44 points in just 73 games the past season. While many point to his extremely high shooting percentage, Colborne generally was given solid scouting reports on his play and is expected to be able to go forward as a solid number three center.
The two-year deal doesn’t mean much risk for Colorado, and the $2.5MM won’t break the bank for a team that may not spend up to the cap this season. If Colborne can repeat his 2015-16 performance, he’ll be an exceptional bargain in a market that has already given out $600MM on day one of free agency.
Where are the actual rumours? All I see is signings on this site.