Ruslan Salei is here to prove: His hockey career ain’t dead yet, even if the Avalanche has buried him.
For the Avs, he has been the invisible man. Coming off back surgery, the 35-year-old veteran has appeared in only two NHL games this season. But for his homeland of Belarus, Salei proudly serves as captain in the Olympic tournament. He logged more minutes than any defenseman on the ice Friday during a 4-2 loss to Sweden in pool play.
Where does he go from here?
“It’s a tough question. Let’s put it this way: I’m in a position to show the world I can still play,” Salei said Friday. “If Colorado decides I can play for them, that’s good. If not, I will play for somebody else.”
In a final year of a $3.275 million contract with the Avalanche, Salei could enhance his trade value and maybe write his ticket out of Denver with a good showing at the Winter Games.
