The Avalanche have added some winger depth on the open market, signing Joonas Donskoi to a four-year contract worth a total of $15.6MM. That means the former San Jose Sharks forward will carry a cap hit of $3.9MM in Colorado, putting a little more pressure on him to perform in a bigger role.
Donskoi is coming off of an up-and-down season with San Jose. He started off quite well, scoring 14 goals in the first 46 games of the season, providing the Sharks with some quality secondary scoring. However, he faltered considerably down the stretch as he was held goalless over the final 34 games of the regular season while he scored just once in a dozen postseason contests.
The 27-year-old represents an intriguing option for Colorado. If he can revert to his early season form, he could be a capable secondary piece for the Avalanche who also added Andre Burakovsky earlier this offseason. However, if it turns out that his offensive outburst wasn’t a sign of things to come, this deal could be a tough one for the Avalanche down the road.