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Mark Barberio

Offseason Notes: Necas, Celebrini, Barberio

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Martin Necas is one of the biggest-name restricted free agents still out there on the market. The 2017 12th overall pick had a disappointing year in 2021-22, but in 2020-21 had the makings of a future star, scoring 41 points in 53 games, a 63-point pace. Necas didn’t have the game-by-game impact many expected him to have last year,  though, and he was supplanted in the Hurricanes’ forward pecking order by fast-rising rookie Seth Jarvis. He needs a new contract, and despite many speculating that he may need a change of scenery, Hurricanes GM Don Waddell remains focused on ironing out an extension.

Per Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, Waddell is nearing that goal. Waddell is quoted as saying that the team and Necas’ camp are negotiating on an “almost a daily basis” and that a deal is “getting close.” Waddell even takes it a step further, saying definitively that “it’s going to get done.” Despite a disappointing most recent season, it’s in the best interest for the Hurricanes to get Necas locked into an extension. While he’s mostly played as a winger in the NHL, Necas has prior experience as a center and could be in a position to seize a top-six center spot should Jesperi Kotkaniemi struggle in that role.

Now, for some other notes from across the NHL:

  • Canadian forward Macklin Celebrini, a player currently projected to be a top prospect for the 2024 NHL draft, has committed to an NCAA school. Per NBC Sports Chicago’s Colby Cohen, Celebrini has committed to the Boston University, and will play there after spending next season with the USHL’s Chicago Steel. Celebrini has spent the past two seasons at minor hockey powerhouse Shattuck St. Mary’s, a school in Minnesota that has an impressive list of NHL alumni including Sidney Crosby, Kyle Okposo, and many others. Celebrini is expected to be a top player in the USHL before he heads to the NCAA.
  • Yesterday, we covered how former NHL defenseman Mark Barberio had agreed to a mutual contract termination with his club, Lausanne HC. Now, we know where Barberio will be spending 2022-23. Per a team announcement, KHL club HC Dynamo Minsk has signed Barberio to a one-year deal. Barberio last appeared in the NHL in 2019-20, getting into 21 games with the Colorado Avalanche. 2022-23 will mark his return to the KHL after spending six games with HC Ak Bars Kazan last season, where he scored three points.

Snapshots: Blackhawks, Barberio, Lappin

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With the Chicago Blackhawks announcing their preseason schedule today, NHL hockey will officially be coming to Milwaukee in a couple of months. The Blackhawks’ third and final preseason “home” game will see them host the Minnesota Wild at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, home of the NBA’s Bucks, on October 2.

Milwaukee has been thrown around in many circles in recent years as a potential destination for an NHL team, usually via relocation. The story was first reported by Milwaukee local news reporter Dario Melendez back in May, where he noted that it will be the first NHL action in Milwaukee since the early 1990s. The timing of the game is beneficial to getting fans in seats and generating interest in the game, as teams tend to dress rosters closer to their opening night lines later in the preseason.

  • Lausanne HC of the Swiss National League has mutually terminated the contract of defenseman Mark Barberio, an NHL veteran of eight seasons and 272 games. Barberio left for the Swiss league after hitting unrestricted free agency in 2020, where he had a successful first season but a tough second year. Serving as Lausanne’s captain for a season and a half, Barberio played just 14 games with them this year before they loaned him to Ak Bars Kazan (KHL) for six games. Barberio then played five games for Team Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics, his last hockey of the season.
  • After signing with Italian club HC Bolzano in the ICEHL, former New Jersey Devils forward Nick Lappin’s career may be in jeopardy. The team posted on Facebook today that Lappin suffered a severe back injury while training this offseason, forcing him out indefinitely. They note that the severity of the injury has Lappin, unfortunately, considering retirement, ending his first season overseas before it began. Lappin, who joined the Devils as an undrafted free agent from Brown University, played 60 NHL games for them between 2016 and 2019, registering eight points.

Eric Staal, Owen Power Headline Team Canada 2022 Olympic Roster

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Jan 25: The roster below has been confirmed, and Chris Johnston of TSN also has the full group of alternates. Justin Pogge, Morgan Ellis, John Gilmour, Chris DiDomenico, Kent Johnson, and Max Veronneau will all be traveling to Beijing and could see action depending on injuries and illnesses.

Jan 24: While the official announcement from Hockey Canada isn’t until tomorrow, the IIHF mistakenly tweeted out the roster for the upcoming 2022 Olympics this afternoon. The tweet has since been deleted, but not before it was seen by many including PHR. Canada’s roster is filled with names familiar to NHL fans, including Stanley Cup champion and veteran of nearly 1,300 games Eric Staal.

The full roster:

G Devon Levi
G Eddie Pasquale
G Matt Tomkins

D Brandon Gormley
D Alex Grant
D Owen Power
D Tyler Wotherspoon
D Mat Robinson
D Mark Barberio
D Jason Demers
D Maxim Noreau

F Daniel Carr
F Corban Knight
F Ben Street
F Jack McBain
F Eric Staal
F Adam Tambellini
F Eric O’Dell
F Daniel Winnik
F Adam Cracknell
F Mason McTavish
F Landon Ferraro
F David Desharnais
F Jordan Weal
F Joshua Ho-Sang

Of note, the announcement did not come with the six-man alternate group that Darren Dreger of TSN reported on this morning. Olympic teams will get to bring a handful of extra skaters that would be eligible to play in case of injury or COVID-related issues. Kent Johnson, who didn’t appear on the final roster, is expected to be among Canada’s alternates.

All Colorado Avalanche UFA’s To Test The Market

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Don’t expect any impending unrestricted free agents out of Denver to re-sign prior to next Friday. The Athletic’s Ryan Clark reports that all of the Colorado Avalanche’s current UFA’s are expected to test the market. Not all of group have been ruled out from re-signing with the club, but they will all at least take the chance to talk to other teams.

Among the group still negotiating with the Avalanche are forwards Vladislav Namestnikov and Matt Nieto. Namestnikov is coming off of a strong season, especially considering he played for three different teams. It was with Colorado that he found the most per-game success, recording four goals and six points in nine regular season games and another four goals and five points in a dozen playoff games. It makes sense that the Avs would like to bring the talented two-way forward back, but Namestnikov could command a significant salary and is likely looking for some long-term security as well. With Colorado hoping to improve their roster from the one that fell short in the postseason, they will likely let Namestnikov discover his market value before deciding what the best use of their cap space is. Nieto is a different case. The experienced role player has been a solid contributor for the Avalanche for the past four seasons, but still has not established himself as a player worthy of a high-value contract. Colorado could re-sign the bottom-six forward without much of a hit to their salary cap status, but will likely weigh their roster space and needs versus the market value of extending Nieto.

Those who will not be returning to Denver next season? Clark states that forward Colin Wilson, defensemen Kevin Connauton and Mark Barberio, and goaltender Michael Hutchinson will not be re-signed by the Avalanche. Barberio has in fact already signed in Switzerland for next season. Wilson and Connauton are both veteran, experienced NHLers, but played very limited roles for Colorado this season, combining for just nine games played. The pair should be able to find new homes where the potential for NHL ice time is higher than it was with the Avs. Hutchinson is one of the best veteran No. 3 goalies in the NHL and played well for the Avs this year when pressed into action in the regular season and postseason. However, with the talk being that Colorado could look at bringing in a third goalie to challenge Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz, combined with a couple of young pros in the system, Hutchinson appears to have lost his role. He will surely find work given the need for depth in net ahead of a condensed 2020-21 season.

With all of these players potentially moving out, the Avalanche have plenty of room to make some additions this off-season. While Clark warns that the team is keeping future extensions in mind when evaluating their salary cap flexibility, it still seems likely that Colorado could make a major splash or two this summer to improve a roster that is already very close to being a top Stanley Cup contender.

Mark Barberio Signs In Switzerland

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As expected, Mark Barberio has taken his talents to Switzerland after seeing his time with the Colorado Avalanche come to an end. The depth defenseman has signed a three-year deal with Lausanne HC of the NLA, meaning he may well never suit up again in the NHL.

Barberio, 30, already found himself in the press box more often than on the ice, playing just 21 games in the NHL this season. Signed to a two-year, $2.9MM deal after a solid 2017-18 campaign, he’d suit up just 33 more times for the Avalanche and record just three points over two years. A sixth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2008, Barberio totaled 272 regular-season games in the NHL, tallying 56 points. He was a much more effective weapon in the minor leagues, earning the 2012 Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s top defenseman and being named to the All-Star team four times.

It will be interesting to see exactly how well Barberio’s game translates to the Swiss league, where many different systems are employed and scoring is generally lower. Pius Suter, who just signed with the Chicago Blackhawks, was the league’s MVP in 2019-20, barely edging out former NHL forward Mark Arcobello in the league scoring race.

For now, you can forget about Barberio as a potential option in the NHL. He’ll be 33 by the time this contract expires and he could return to North America.

Minor Transactions: 07/28/20

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The NHL is back, kicking things off with some exhibition action between rivals. As the hockey world focuses on Pittsburgh-Philadelphia, minor league and European teams continue to build their depth for an upcoming season. As minor signings roll in, we’ll keep track of them right here.

  • Swiss journalist Gregory Beaud tweets that Lausanne HC of the NLA will announce two more foreign signings once the NHL season is complete, following their deals with Cory Conacher and Brian Gibbons today. While not confirmed yet, he believes that Mark Barberio of the Colorado Avalanche will be one of those to head to Switzerland next season.
  • NHL draft pick Martins Dzierkals will be returning to Dinamo Riga next season, signing a deal with the KHL team after spending last season in Finland. Dzierkals, 23, was picked 68th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015 but never signed and subsequently saw his draft rights traded to the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this year.
  • The Manitoba Moose have signed Nathan Todd to a one-year AHL contract, bringing back a player who spent 16 games in their uniform this season. Todd is an elite offensive presence at the ECHL level, but has just one point in 27 career AHL games.

Minor Transactions: 03/31/19

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Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin picked up his 50th goal of the season on Saturday in the team’s 6-3 victory over Tampa Bay, giving him eight 50-goal seasons throughout his career. That puts the Capitals forward among elite company, as only Mike Bossy and Wayne Gretzky have accomplished that feat. Of course, both of those two players have done it nine times, which means that Ovechkin will need to pull it off one more time if he wants to tie those two legendary players. With another slate of potential season-altering games today, with the playoffs now right around the corner, keep an eye out for the minor moves that teams are making to give them the best chance to maximize their points in these final games:

  • The Buffalo Sabres have returned defenseman Matt Tennyson to the Rochester Americans of the AHL, according to CapFriendly. The team recalled him Thursday, but Tennyson didn’t see any action in either game the Sabres have played since then. The 28-year-old Tennyson has four goals and 20 points in 45 AHL games.
  • The San Jose Sharks have returned defenseman Jacob Middleton after recalling him Saturday night to serve as an emergency defenseman, according to CapFriendly. He did not play in Saturday’s overtime win over Vegas. The 23-year-old Middleton will return to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL, where he has five goals and 19 points in 54 games.
  • CapFriendly reports that the Boston Bruins have assigned center Karson Kuhlman to the Providence Bruins of the AHL. Kuhlman was recalled Friday on emergency conditions. Kuhlman did not see any action in the team’s loss to Florida Saturday. The 23-year-old Kuhlman has 12 goals and 30 points in 58 AHL games.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled goaltender Kaden Fulcher from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL under emergency conditions. He is expected to backup starter Jimmy Howard while Jonathan Bernier is out with an upper-body injury. Fulcher hasn’t even made an appearance with the Griffins as the 20-year-old has played his entire season with the ECHL Toledo Walleye where he has gone 15-7-2 with a 3.00 GAA and a .899 save percentage. CapFriendly also reports that the team has recalled forward Dominic Turgeon on an emergency basis. The 23-year-old prospect hasn’t played a game for Detroit this season, but has accumulated six goals and 19 points in 69 games with the Griffins.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs officially announced they have recalled defenseman Calle Rosen from the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. Rosen, who signed as a free agent in the summer of 2017, played four games for Toronto immediately then, but then was assigned to the Marlies. He put up 22 points in 62 games that year , but has taken his game to another level this season as he has posted seven goals and 46 points in 54 games and was signed to an inexpensive, tw0-year extension with the understanding he will take over a spot on the Maple Leafs’ blueline next season. Rosen is expected to meet the team in New York and play with the team on Monday.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have recalled defenseman Mark Barberio from his conditioning stint with the Colorado Eagles of the AHL, according to CapFriendly. The 29-year-old blueliner hadn’t played in a game since Jan. 21, so the team sent him to the AHL to get his timing back in case they need to use him. Barberio has played in just 12 games this season for the Avalanche. He picked up an assist in two games with the Eagles.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled forward Austin Watson from his conditioning stint with the Milwaukee Admirals, according to The Athletic’s Adam Vingan. Watson, who had been suspended indefintely to an “alcohol related relapse,” and entered Stage Two of the joint Substance Abuse and Behavioral Program, was reinstated on Mar. 18. To get him ready for the approaching playoffs, the team sent him on a conditioning loan where he scored four goals in two games.

Minor Transactions: 03/27/19

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The NHL has just four games on the schedule for this evening, but plenty of reason to tune in. The Western Conference matchups are especially interesting, as the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche try to hang on to their wild card spots. Both teams will take on clubs ahead of them in the standings, and pull even with both the Arizona Coyotes and Minnesota Wild in games played. As they prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The Avalanche have loaned Mark Barberio to the AHL on a conditioning assignment, giving him a chance to get back into game shape. The 29-year old hasn’t played since January and has suited up just 12 times this season due to injury. He had already re-joined the Avalanche for full practices, but will now get to play a few games for the Colorado Eagles before coming back up to the NHL.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Martin Frk from the AHL as Luke Glendening and Anthony Mantha are dealing with injuries. Both players are expected to suit up for the team tomorrow, but the Red Wings needed some insurance just in case.
  • The Bruins announced that they have assigned center Karson Kuhlman to AHL Providence.  He was recalled on Saturday following the injury to Sean Kuraly and got into two games with Boston on his recall, scoring once.  However, the return of winger Marcus Johansson meant Kuhlman could no longer remain with the team on an emergency recall.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Colorado Avalanche

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Colorado Avalanche

Current Cap Hit: $67,318,095 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Alexander Kerfoot (one year, $925K)
F Dominic Toninato (one year, $925K)
F J.T. Compher (one year, $925K)
F Mikko Rantanen (one year, $894K)
F Tyson Jost (two years, $886K)
F Vladislav Kamenev (one year, $833K)
F A.J. Greer (one year, $741K)
D Samuel Girard (two years, $728K)
D Anton Lindholm (one year, $718K)

Potential Bonuses:

Rantanen: $850K
Jost: $850K
Kerfoot: $213K
Girard: $183K
Lindholm: $183K
Compher: $100K
Greer: $75K

Total: $2.47MM

For a successful team that made it into the playoffs and gave the Nashville Predators a run for their money, it’s a bit surprising that the team got quite a bit of contributions from entry-level players, with Rantanen probably at the top of the list of contributors. After a 20-goal season in his first full season on the team, the 21-year-old took that next step and benefitted from playing with Nathan MacKinnon on the first line, breaking out with a 29-goal, 84-point season. With the top line expected to return this season, don’t be surprised if the winger puts up another big season right before he becomes a restricted free agent and could get rewarded with a long-term contract.

The team expects similar success from Kerfoot, who arrived in Colorado as a four-year college free agent from Harvard University. The 24-year-old posted a 19-goal, 43-point rookie campaign last year as a member of the team’s third line and now is expected to move up a notch and battle Jost for the second-line center position, with the loser moving to right wing on the same line. Jost, scored 12 goals last season in his rookie season, but the 2016 first-rounder is expected to break out if he can earn a spot on that second line as well. Both are likely to have promising seasons.

The 23-year-old Compher is another young talent who will be given every chance to fight for a spot as the left wing on the second line. In his first full season, Compher posted 13 goals and could be in line for a bigger season next year. The team also has high expectations for Girard on the defense. One of the key pieces of the Matt Duchene trade, the then 19-year-old defenseman was able to stay in the NHL, averaging 17:39 ATOI once he was traded from Nashville and posted 20 points in his rookie season and should be able to improve on that as he will likely assume a top-four role already next season.

One interesting prospect is Kamenev, who also came over with Girard in the Duchene deal, but the 22-year-old center was injured one game into his Colorado career, and he missed most of the season. Now healthy, Kamenev has a good chance to earn a role on the team’s third line in hopes of putting up good numbers next year. Toninato may also be an interesting addition as he has a chance to pick up the fourth-line center spot after signing last season out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

G Semyon Varlamov ($5.9MM, UFA)
F Colin Wilson ($3.94MM, UFA)
D Patrik Nemeth ($2.5MM, UFA)
D Nikita Zadorov ($2.15MM, RFA)
F Sven Andrighetto ($1.4MM, RFA)
F Gabriel Bourque ($950K, UFA)

With cap room at a premium, general manager Joe Sakic had the opportunity to use that to his advantage as he was able to acquire the bloated contract of Brooks Orpik from Washington to acquire their future goaltender in Grubauer, who has posted two straight seasons of .923 save percentages or higher. The Capitals’ backup goalie looks ready for a chance to take a starting role and while he might split time with Varlamov early on, the team’s hopes is that Grubauer steals the job away from him. Varlamov and his $5.9MM contract is set to expire next year, meaning the Avalanche are likely going to allow him to walk.

The team has a pair of defensive players in Zadorov and Nemeth, who will be fighting for contract extensions next season. Zadorov has been a key defensive player for the team, posting 278 hits as well as blocking 106 shots. He even posted a career high in both goals (7) and points (20). Nemeth came over to Colorado from Dallas and immediately jumped into the rotation and led the team with a plus-27 rating and was crucial to the team’s penalty kill and likely will take a third-pairing role once again.

Wilson could be pushed down to the team’s third line or provide a veteran presence on the second line depending if one of the youngsters fails to impress in camp. However, the 28-year-old is coming off of one of his worst-ever seasons as he posted just six goals and 18 points last season. Andrighetto will be another youngster who should get some time in the team’s bottom-six.

Two Years Remaining

D Tyson Barrie ($5.5MM, UFA)
F Carl Soderberg ($4.75MM, UFA)
F Matthew Nieto ($1.98MM, UFA)
D Mark Barberio ($1.45MM, UFA)
D Mark Alt ($725K, UFA)

The 27-year-old took that next step for the Avalanche, putting up career numbers in both goals and points as he posted 14 goals and 57 points last season as he’s proven to be a No. 1 defenseman that the franchise really needs. The team must find a way to lock him up to an extension in July next year.

Soderberg doesn’t post big offensive numbers, but is viewed as a critical shutdown defender, who the Avalanche put up against other teams’ top players. The 32-year-old did put up 16 goals and 37 points last year, but his main responsibility is to center the team’s third line. Nieto will likely end up there with him, who also produced at a career-high as he posted a 15-goal season last year.

Three Years Remaining

F Gabriel Landeskog ($5.57MM, UFA)
D Ian Cole ($4.25MM, UFA)
G Philipp Grubauer ($3.33MM, UFA)
F Matt Calvert ($2.85MM, UFA)

Landeskog has become an integral part of the Avalance’s top line as he posted numbers that are comparable to his best seasons of his career as he posted 25 goals and 62 points. The 25-year-old has added excellent balance to that top line since the team moved on from Duchene. The second-overall pick in 2011 might be able to start meeting the high expectations of his draft status if the chemistry between Rantanen and MacKinnon continue.

Cole, Grubauer and Calvert were all recent additions this offseason with Grubauer having already been discussed. However, the team hopes to get some solid value out of both Cole and Calvert at their respective positions. Cole should provide veteran depth to developing defense and if he plays well enough could beat out Girard or Zadorov for a top-four spot, but is more likely to settle into a third-line pairing. Calvert should be able to provide third or fourth-line depth since his lack of offensive skills would likely prevent him from earning a second-line role.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Nathan MacKinnon ($6.3MM through 2022-23)
D Erik Johnson ($6MM through 2022-23)

The amazing thing is that Colorado only has two players locked up long-term and considering that MacKinnon was one of the top vote-getters for the Hart Trophy last season after the 23-year-old posted 39 goals and 97 points, the team has a steal of a deal with him. With the rising salaries of star players, the fact that Colorado has MacKinnon locked up for five more years at just $6.3MM only makes their situation better and should allow the team to add even more talent over the next couple of years.

The team also has five more years of Johnson at $6MM, which isn’t as good. While Johnson is a solid defensive defenseman, the 30-year-old is injury-prone and hasn’t been able to play 80 games just once in his 10 NHL seasons. He managed nine goals and 25 points in 62 games last season and still remains the team’s second-best defenseman.

Buyouts

D Brooks Orpik ($2.5MM in 2018-19; $1.5MM in 2019-20)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: MacKinnon
Worst Value: Johnson

(Excluding entry-level contracts)

Looking Ahead

The Avalanche is a young team that just a year ago many considered to be one of the worst in the NHL. Thanks to the superb play of many of their young players, the team should be in good hands. Colorado has plenty of cap space to handle long-term deals that will need to be given to their many youngsters with Rantanen the most likely to be handed a long-term extension and the team may even have the ability to go after a big-name free agent in a year or two if they continue to improve and show they are the most intriguing team in the Central Division.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Colorado Avalanche Re-Sign Mark Barberio

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The Colorado Avalanche have inked another depth defenseman, this time re-signing Mark Barberio to a two-year contract. Barberio was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, after spending the last season and a half in Colorado. The deal will pay him $1.45MM per season, a substantial upgrade over the $700K he earned this year. GM Joe Sakic released a statement explaining the decision:

Mark has been a steady part of our blue line since joining the team and has helped solidify our defensive depth. He has played important minutes for us and has been a key penalty killer. We are pleased to have Mark under contract for the next two seasons.

Barberio came to the Avalanche originally in 2017 after being claimed off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens. Despite putting up positive possession statistics for Montreal, the team decided he was no longer necessary after acquiring Nikita Nesterov. That would turn out to be something of a mistake, as Nesterov would end up unqualified in the summer while Barberio became a regular for Colorado. Playing in 46 games this season, he registered 13 points, was a positive possession player and had the second-highest +/- rating of any Avalanche defender at +6.

It’s not clear exactly what Barberio’s role will be next season, as the Avalanche now have eight legitimate candidates for NHL spots under contract, not even counting Patrik Nemeth and Duncan Siemens who are both restricted free agents, or Conor Timmins who could impress in camp. For a team that was questioned thoroughly last offseason for their lack of NHL defensemen, the team seems to be building quite a pipeline this time around.

Barberio’s salary would suggest that he’ll be with the team in some capacity, which gives more credence to the idea that the Avalanche may be looking to trade some of their other defensemen. Even if they don’t, he’ll likely be asked to take a regular turn on the third pair and penalty kill unit in 2018-19.

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