The two biggest questions for next season remain unresolved, but the Colorado Avalanche did find some intriguing bargains despite limited financial resources at the start of a wild offseason.
For the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, a lack of cap space was not the main storyline when free agency opened July 1 and NHL GMs turned back the clock for a proper spending spree. Given the number of risky and/or already problematic contracts handed out, teams like Colorado that mostly stuck to the bargain bin came away from this past week better off than clubs that will ultimately regret some of these deals.