Avalanche Notes: Toews, Johnson, Newhook
In the second part of this latest mailbag series for The Athletic, Avalanche beat reporter Peter Baugh commented on many of the pressing issues surrounding the 2022 Stanley Cup champions over the coming months.
One such question is the future of standout defender Devon Toews, whose team-friendly four-year contract earning him $4.1MM per season expires in 2024. While Colorado will have some extra cap space for the 2023-24 campaign due to Gabriel Landeskog‘s injury, Toews is due a gigantic raise that may complicate the long-term financial picture, especially with the trajectory of the salary cap uncertain.
Some would entertain the idea of trading the player behind him on the Avalanche depth chart, Samuel Girard, to create cap space, but Baugh says that’s not likely without an extension for Toews already in place. Given Girard’s cost certainty at a $5MM cap hit through 2027, Baugh even went so far as to suggest Toews being a potential trade candidate himself if an extension appears unlikely to materialize late into next season.
- Baugh also said he believes defender Erik Johnson, the team’s longest-tenured player, is interested in returning to the team next season. The 35-year-old is a pending free agent upon expiration of his seven-year, $6MM cap hit extension signed in 2015 and likely wouldn’t command much above the league minimum on a one-year deal. Johnson registered just eight assists in 63 games last season while again dealing with some injuries.
- Despite a lack of development this season, Baugh doesn’t think the Avalanche have lost faith in young center Alex Newhook. Expected to step into the vacated second-line center spot to begin the season, Newhook quickly slipped back into a bottom-six role and ended his regular season with 30 points in 82 games. While Colorado will likely use their additional cap flexibility this summer to add higher-end depth at center, the organization still needs more out of important young players like Newhook to maintain Cup contention.
Gustav Rydahl Returns To SHL
His North American hockey career is over as quickly as it began, as Gustav Rydahl has officially signed a new contract in the SHL. Reports emerged in March that the 28-year-old would be inking a multi-year deal with Frolunda, and today the club announced a five-year contract.
That effectively ends any chance of him playing in the NHL, after failing to make it with the New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche this season. Rydahl signed a one-year, $750K deal last summer to join the Rangers after developing into one of the SHL’s most well-rounded power forwards, but would see only minor league action before being shipped to Colorado at the deadline.
After 52 unspectacular AHL contests, he’ll return to Sweden to continue his strong international career. Rydahl was part of his country’s 2022 Olympic squad, and is a significant addition for Frolunda through 2028.
Given his age, Rydahl was headed to unrestricted free agency, meaning there will be no qualifying offer or rights retained by the Avalanche.
Avalanche Issue Several Injury Updates
Colorado was dealt a serious blow for next season earlier today when it was announced that captain Gabriel Landeskog would miss all of 2023-24 and will be undergoing a cartilage transplant in his surgically-repaired knee. Speaking with reporters today (video link), GM Chris MacFarland issued several other injury updates.
- Winger Andrew Cogliano, who suffered a fractured neck in their opening-round loss to Seattle, is not expected to need surgery. The veteran, who also was dealing with an AC sprain, is expected to have a recovery timeline of six-to-eight weeks, meaning he should be fully recovered before reaching unrestricted free agency in July. The 35-year-old potted ten goals and nine assists in 79 games for the Avs this season.
- Winger Artturi Lehkonen, who recovered from a broken finger in time for the playoffs, sustained a broken toe during the series against the Kraken. The 27-year-old was able to play through the injury and finished fourth in scoring in the series with three goals and three assists. Lehkonen, who had a career year during the season with 20 goals and 31 assists, will not suit up at the upcoming World Championship due to the injury.
- Goaltender Pavel Francouz has undergone surgery to repair an adductor injury but is expected to be fully ready for training camp in the fall. The 32-year-old dealt with lower-body trouble during the season which limited him to just 16 games where he posted a 2.61 GAA and a .915 SV%.
- Defenseman Josh Manson had a procedure done last week after being sidelined with a lower-body injury of his own during the series. He, too, is expected to be ready in time for training camp. Manson had an injury-riddled first full campaign with the Avalanche and was limited to just 27 games during the regular season before missing the final two playoff contests.
Jonas Johansson Signs In Sweden
After six full seasons stateside, Colorado Avalanche pending free agent netminder Jonas Johansson is opting to return home. The 27-year-old has signed a two-year contract with Färjestad BK of the SHL, according to a team announcement Tuesday.
Johansson was originally a member of the Buffalo Sabres, drafted by them in the third round of the 2014 NHL Draft. After multiple years in the minors, he was traded to the Avalanche in March 2021 and appeared in nine games with the team during the 2020-21 season. Since then, he’s stayed mostly in the Colorado organization, aside from a brief stint with the Florida Panthers in 2021-22 after they claimed him on waivers.
This past season was Johansson’s best professionally by a country mile. He played in 26 games with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, his most with a single team in a single season since he played 27 with the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones in 2018-19. He did well there, recording a .920 save percentage and a 14-9-2 record. In three appearances with Colorado this season, he posted a .932 save percentage and 2-0-0 record.
Still, with Johansson tossed around between leagues constantly over the past few seasons, it’s no surprise he’s opted for stability in the SHL. A return to North America isn’t out of the question upon expiration of his contract, though, as Johansson said in a translated statement:
The dream of the NHL will always live on as long as you play, I think. But at this stage in life, it feels good to be able to come home and play. A little closer to friends and family and get to experience Swedish hockey again. It will be a lot of fun.
Färjestad BK is one of the most successful teams in the SHL, having won 10 SHL/Elitserien championships in its history. The team finished in third place during the 2022-23 season but was upset by Frölunda HC in a seven-game quarterfinal series.
Johansson is currently the only goaltender on the Färjestad roster for 2023-24, and he’s likely the starter based on his recent play in the minors and extensive professional experience.
If Johansson does finish out his pro career in Sweden rather than returning to North America, he wraps up his NHL career with an 11-13-4 record in 35 games, posting one shutout, a 3.35 goals-against average, and .886 save percentage.
Gabriel Landeskog Unlikely To Play Next Season
The Colorado Avalanche announced today that captain Gabriel Landeskog will undergo a cartilage transplant in his right knee, likely causing him to miss the entire 2023-24 season.
This is a devastating blow for the Avalanche, who hoped to have their leader back on the ice for the upcoming season. Landeskog missed the entirety of the 2022-23 campaign due to a previous knee injury dating back to the season prior when Landeskog and his Avalanche lifted the Stanley Cup.
Colorado felt Landeskog’s absence deeply this season. Combined with other rashes of injuries, Colorado was plagued with inconsistency but seemed to get hot at the right time going into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Without Landeskog (and eventually Valeri Nichushkin) in the fold, though, the Avalanche’s depth couldn’t keep up, and they were eliminated by the Seattle Kraken in a seven-game First Round series.
The decision to undergo a cartilage transplant is a serious one, and it’s clear that Landeskog and the Avalanche are taking a cautious approach to his recovery. The procedure is a substitute for a joint replacement, involving a lab process where biopsied cartilage is allowed to grow and multiply before being inserted into the knee.
Despite the on-ice setback for Colorado, the team now knows Landeskog’s $7MM cap hit can remain on long-term injured reserve next season, giving them ample breathing room to make needed additions to their forward corps.
Off the ice, the focus now shifts to Landeskog’s long-term health in a personal sense, not just on the ice. Chronic knee pain is evidently becoming a serious issue in Landeskog’s life, and the team is inarguably making the right choice by supporting procedures such as this that prioritize Landeskog’s long-term comfort.
At this point in his career, Landeskog has skated in 738 regular-season and 69 playoff games, all with Colorado. He recorded 22 points in 20 games and a league-leading +15 rating en route to 2022’s Stanley Cup win and has amassed 248 goals and 571 points in his regular-season career.
Brad Hunt To Represent Canada At World Championships
- Peter Baugh of The Athletic reports Brad Hunt is also heading to the World Championships. The Colorado Avalanche veteran defenseman will be representing Canada for the first time at the age of 34. After bouncing between the NHL and AHL for much of his early pro career, Hunt became a full-time NHL skater in 2017-18 with the Vegas Golden Knights. He spent the next five seasons at the NHL level but split the 2022-23 campaign between the Avalanche and their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. He is an offensive defenseman who scored ten points in 47 NHL games and had 21 points in 24 AHL games.
Denis Malgin To Play At World Championship
- Avalanche winger Denis Malgin is expected to be a late addition to Switzerland’s roster for the Worlds, according to a report from Watson News. The 26-year-old did well after coming over in a midseason swap, picking up 11 goals in 42 games despite averaging just 10:32 per night. Notably, Malgin does not have a contract for next season; it’s typically rare for a pending free agent to play in this event.
2023 Norris Trophy Finalists Announced
The National Hockey League is announcing finalists for all of their end of season awards this week. Today, they have revealed the three players that are up for the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman. In the running are Adam Fox of the New York Rangers, Erik Karlsson of the San Jose Sharks and Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche.
Fox has quickly become known as one of the best offensive defensemen in the league, and his 72 points in 82 games are proof of that. He has also become a well-rounded defender and is regularly on the ice for the Rangers against the other team’s top players, and routinely takes over the play when he is on the ice. He also averaged over two minutes of ice time per game while his team was shorthanded, proving he can be counted on in all situations. The 25 year old has already won a Norris Trophy once, in 2021, and is now up for the award for the second time after playing just his fourth NHL season.
Karlsson had an incredible bounceback season for the Sharks. After scoring 97 points in 158 games combined over the previous three seasons, the 32-year-old defenseman had his best season yet by scoring 25 goals and 101 points. This was the first time a defenseman reached 100 points since Brian Leetch did so with the New York Rangers 31 years ago. Karlsson’s game is geared heavily towards offense and not as much towards defense, which could cost him in his quest for a third Norris Trophy after winning the award in 2012 and 2015. However, it is hard to argue the value of a defenseman that can score 101 points.
Makar has stormed onto the NHL scene much like Fox. Once they arrived, they immediately became stars. The 24-year-old defender won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2020, the Conn Smythe in 2022 as Playoffs MVP and he also took home the Norris Trophy last season. He was limited to 60 games this season, but made his mark by scoring 17 goals and 66 points while being a tremendous defensive presence as well. No one in the entire NHL averaged more time on ice per game than Makar’s 26:23 per contest and he is among the league’s best in all situations.
The Norris Trophy will be handed out on June 26th at the NHL Awards ceremony.
Andrew Cogliano Out For The Season
04/30/23: Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told reporters today, including the Seattle Times’ Geoff Baker, that Cogliano would miss the rest of the playoffs due to the fracture of the C5 vertebrae in his neck.
It’s a major loss for the Avalanche penalty kill, and while Colorado is undoubtedly fixated on tonight’s Game Seven, the organization’s greater priority is likely helping Cogliano, a veteran of over 1,200 NHL games, recover from this gruesome injury and return to full health.
04/29/23: Although the play will reportedly not result in any suspension being handed out, due to the hit from behind from forward Jordan Eberle of the Seattle Kraken in Game Six, Andrew Cogliano will be out indefinitely for the Colorado Avalanche with a fractured neck. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Cogliano has fractured his C5 vertebrae, which are towards the top of the spinal cord structure.
It is unknown whether the Department of Player Safety was in the know of the damage done to Cogliano on the hit, but given the context of this series, it will likely raise a host of questions surrounding the supplemental discipline being handed out in this year’s playoffs. Although the context surrounding this hit was different, Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar received a one-game suspension for Game Five due to his hit on Kraken forward Jared McCann, who was also injured on that play.
Becoming a theme that has begun to sound like a broken record to this point, the Avalanche will once again lose team depth due to injury. Already without Gabriel Landeskog, Josh Manson, Darren Helm, and Valeri Nichushkin (personal reasons), the Avalanche will be without some very important players as they look to close out the Kraken in Game Seven.
Colorado Avalanche Recall Brad Hunt
04/30/23: After a short stay on the Eagles’ roster, Hunt has been recalled back to the Avalanche. According to the Athletic’s Peter Baugh, Hunt could be an option to enter head coach Jared Bednar’s lineup tonight for Game Seven against the Seattle Kraken.
04/29/23: Following their victory over Seattle on Friday to extend their first-round series, the Avalanche made a roster move, assigning defenseman Brad Hunt to Colorado of the AHL, per the AHL’s transactions log.
The 34-year-old is no stranger to being sent to the minors this season as this is the seventh time it has happened. In between those assignments, Hunt got into 47 games with the Avs this season, picking up four goals and six assists in limited minutes as he averaged just over 11 minutes a night. He has been quite productive in his first season of AHL action since 2016-17, tallying seven goals and 14 helpers in just 24 contests.
While it may seem odd that a team who was missing a defenseman (Josh Manson) due to injury last night would then turn around and send a blueliner down, this was done at least in part for waiver-related purposes.
Hunt cleared waivers back on April 1st, resetting his clock. Players can’t spend more than 30 days cumulative on an NHL roster without needing to pass through waivers again and days in the playoffs do count as it is part of their playing season. Accordingly, Colorado is sending Hunt down now to keep him eligible to play with the Eagles for their playoffs run, rather than running the risk of losing him if they had to waive him to send him down after the Avalanche get eliminated, an outcome that could come as soon as Sunday if they aren’t able to win in the series-deciding game against the Kraken.