Will Ehlers Choose Avalanche? If So, Someone Needs To Go

Intrigue builds for Day 2 of free agency

Chris MacFarland

I have it on good authority that the Avalanche would like to sign Nikolaj Ehlers, considered the best free agent still available, before and after, Day 1 today. The Avs didn’t do too much today, unless you consider a four-year (???) extension for Parker Kelly and the signing of an AHL D-man from Philly, Ronald Attard.

The Avs currently have $7.5 million in cap space (Kelly’s contract extension of $1.75 million per doesn’t take effect until next season, which means the Colorado Avalanche hockey club are indebted to fourth-liner Parker Kelly for the next five years. Parker Kelly had 19 points in 80 games with the Avs, won 43% of his faceoffs and a Corsi of about 44%. So, it’s good we have him locked up for five years. He replaces Miles Wood as having the most mystifying long-term contract on the Avs).

But I digress.

Nikolaj Ehlers is a 60-point guy, who is a very good player. Is he elite, worthy of some huge contract? I would say no, but he’s in a good market position, being the only really reliable point man left on the market, with a lot of teams hungry for more offense. So, some say he might get upwards of $9 million per, which would be a huge overpay. But he still might get it.