NHL Rumors: Colorado Avalanche, and the Top Remaining NHL Free Agents
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© Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
Toews could cost $5 million … Saad may not be with the Avs long-term

Mike Chambers of the Denver Post: Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic passed again on higher priced free agents and went the trade route by acquiring forward Brandon Saad and defenseman Devon Toews.

“We were looking for a second-line player (and) maybe a top-four D-man,” Sakic said after the Saad trade but hours before the deal for Toews was finalized.

Darren Dreger said they improved their team in two areas and didn’t have to ‘swing for the fences.’

Toews might end up playing on the top pairing beside Cale Makar. First, the Avs need to sign the RFA who could command $5 million a season.

The Avs have about $6 million in cap space with 19 players under contract.

Saad has a year left on his deal and may not be extended as the Avs will have to hand out new deals to Makar and Gabriel Landeskog.

Top remaining NHL free agents

TSN: Top remaining unrestricted free agents

RK PLAYER TEAM POS 19-20
1 Mike Hoffman FLA LW $5.19 million
2 Erik Haula FLA C $2.75 million
3 Corey Perry DAL RW $3.1 million
4 Mikael Granlund NSH LW $5.75 million
5 Anthony Duclair OTT LW $1.65 million
6 Sami Vatanen CAR RD $4.88 million
7 Zdeno Chara BOS LD $2 million
8 Andreas Athanasiou EDM RW $3 million
9 Carl Soderberg ARI C $4.75 million
10 Travis Hamonic CGY RD $3.86 million
11 Ilya Kovalchuk WSH LW $700,000
12 Matt Martin NYI LW $2.5 million
13 Conor Sheary PIT LW $3 million
14 Michael Frolik BUF RW $4.3 million
15 Colin Wilson COL LW $2.6 million
16 Mirco Mueller NJD LD $1.4 million
17 Alex Galchenyuk MIN C $4.9 million
18 Melker Karlsson SJS RW $2 million
19 Dominik Simon PIT RW $750,000
20 Trevor Lewis LAK RW $2 million
21 Ben Hutton LAK LD $1.5 million
22 Andy Greene NYI LD $5 million
23 Ryan Miller ANA G $1.13 million
24 Ron Hainsey OTT RD $3.5 million
25 Michael Del Zotto ANA LD $750,000
26 Drake Caggiula CHI LW $1.5 million
27 Madison Bowey DET RD $1 million
28 Jan Rutta TBL RD $1.3 million
29 Brian Boyle FLA LW/C $940,000
30 Karl Alzner MTL LD $4.63 million
31 Michael Grabner ARI LW $3.35 million
32 Frederik Gauthier TOR C $675,000
33 Riley Sheahan EDM LW/C $900,000
34 Jimmy Howard DET G $4 million
35 Dmitry Kulikov WPG LD $4.33 million
36 Josh Leivo VAN RW $1.5 million
37 Craig Anderson OTT G $4.75 million