Colorado Avalanche Linked to Longtime NHL Defenseman in Free Agency

The veteran defenseman has been participating in Chicago's training camp on a PTO.

It's rare that we see free agent signings this close to the start of the NHL season, but with some legitimate talent still left without contracts for the 2025-26 season, some teams are still exploring their options.

The Colorado Avalanche, who have already lost goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood, are currently monitoring the injury status of defenseman Samuel Girard, have reportedly expressed interest in signing longtime NHL defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to a contract.

Grzelcyk, who's been skating with Chicago for the past few days, reportedly declined a contract offer from a Western Conference team not that long ago. Whether or not that offer came from Colorado, it's clear the team has had continued interest in bringing him in.

With the Avalanche out one of their best offensive defensemen, it may make sense to bring in Grzelcyk, who netted 40 points last season from the blue line.

The main hold up preventing Grzelcyk from signing a contract for the season may be the dollar amount. He made $2.75 million last season, and it's unlikely that he'd want to take a pay cut, especially with the salary cap having gone up.

However, the Avalanche only have $1,325,964 in cap space, so making a deal that satisfies both sides work may be tricky.