NHL reporter Terry Frei breaks down the Avalanche roster and free agents:
UNDER CONTRACT FOR 2008-09
Pos. Player Cap number
LW Ryan Smyth $6.25 million
Comment: Up-and-down, injury-filled season.
D Scott Hannan $4.5 million
Struggled at start, but was solid in second half of the season.
RW Milan Hejduk $3.9 million
Signed through 2011-12, needs to do more.
D Brett Clark $3.5 million
Two-year extension kicks in, recovering from shoulder surgery.
D Ruslan Salei $3.03 million
Added physical dimension at the trade deadline.
C Tyler Arnason $1.68 million
Some nights you ask: How come he can’t do that all the time?
D Jordan Leopold $1.5 million
Injury-riddled, and coach Joel Quenneville lost faith in him.
RW Ian Laperriere $1.15 million
Heart, soul and grit. But is he over the hill?
C T.J. Hensick $850,000
Traveled the Lake Erie-Colorado shuttle, a genuine prospect.
C Paul Stastny $850,000
Standout two-way center remains a cornerstone . . . and a bargain.
G Peter Budaj $700,000
Failed to grab the No. 1 job, but making backup money.
D Kyle Cumiskey $551,667
A speed demon, but was mistake-prone and mainly a liability.
RW David Jones $550,000
Trumpeted as a “find” this season, but Avs are overrating him.
C Ben Guite $475,000
Solid fourth-line center . . . and there’s nothing wrong with that.
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
LW Andrew Brunette
The league’s current No. 1 ironman, but Quenne- ville used him less.
D Jeff Finger
The big mistake against Minnesota might have done him in.
D Adam Foote
He’ll be back under “hometown discount.”
LW Peter Forsberg
Sounds ready to walk away . . . but wanna bet? The bug might bite again.
LW Jaroslav Hlinka
Veteran European pro never found his niche.
D John-Michael Liles
Awful contract season . . . until trade deadline passed.
RW Scott Parker
The enforcer’s probably history . . . again.
C Joe Sakic
He really will think it over, and then be back.
D Kurt Sauer
Got back in the lineup, but it’s a numbers game.
C Wyatt Smith
Organizational insurance, he was Lake Erie captain.
G Jose Theodore
Stock was down . . . then up . . . then down again.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
D Johnny Boychuk
Organizational guy . . . if not for the Avs, then someone else.
LW Cody McCormick
Well-liked, but a spare part at best.
LW Cody McLeod
Avs loved him — to excess — as agitator and spark.
C Brad Richardson
Once a prized prospect, regressed this season.
RW Marek Svatos
Leading goal-scorer when he was hurt . . . again.
G Tyler Weiman
Organizational goaltender . . . for Avs or another team.
LW Wojtek Wolski
Remains a maddening enigma, perceived to be underachieving.
