With all but one player left unsigned and little room under the salary cap for the Avalanche, John-Michael Liles accepted the NHL’s minimum salary on Thursday.
One of the league’s top rookie performers in 2003-04, Liles will make no more than any first-year player in 2005-06. The defenseman signed his one-year qualifying offer worth $450,000, leaving only reserve forward Riku Hahl unsigned.
Liles accepted his qualifying offer after weeks of negotiations on a multiyear deal stalled. He could be a beneficiary of greater cap room next summer.
Liles, 24, led NHL rookie defensemen in scoring with 10 goals and 34 points in 79 games for Colorado his first season. He was named to the NHL’s all-rookie team.
“John-Michael showed us that he is capable of being the kind of player that will excel in the new NHL,” Avalanche president and general manager Pierre Lacroix said in a team release. “He’s a very smart, skilled player who has a bright future ahead of him.”
With the signing of Liles and the recent addition of veteran Curtis Leschyshyn, the Avs have eight experienced defensemen on their roster. Normally, a team carries seven defensemen during the regular season with six playing in any game.
Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-820-5454 or adater@denverpost.com.
