Fans of Colorado forward Blake Comeau will be sorry to hear that his days with Avalanche are reportedly over. According to Adrian Dater of BSN Denver, the Avs have decided not to offer a contract to the veteran forward. Comeau will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st and will be free to sign anywhere, except in Denver apparently.
Comeau, 32, is considered to be an intriguing name in a relatively shallow free agent market this summer. There are not many top-six options available as unrestricted free agents and Comeau should be able to cash in on his elevated value. Perhaps GM Joe Sakic and the Avalanche anticipated this market effect and after initial conversations with Comeau decided that they weren’t willing to bid against the field to retain an older player.
This would be a rational reason why Colorado wouldn’t otherwise want to retain Comeau. The two-way right winger is coming off of his best season with the Avalanche over the course of his three-year deal with the team. Comeau registered 34 points in 79 games and was one of only four regular forwards to finish the season with a positive rating. He also provided sound defensive play, as one of the team’s top checkers and oft-relied upon presence in key defensive zone situations. Comeau was a versatile a dependable presence for the young Avs squad and it is somewhat of a surprise that they will not reportedly not pursue an extension with him. Colorado’s loss is someone else’s gain however; the multi-talented forward is bound to find another good fit in no time on the free agent market.
Good player but always seems to get hurt. Last year no injuries and had a good season. As he gets older injuries will continue to occur. Good move by av’s not to sign
Yes, smart to walk away and not get into a bidding frenzy.