NHL free agency went well for the Avalanche. It didn’t sign center John Tavares, and Colorado still has a gaping (unproven) hole with its No. 2 center, but 29 other teams failed to sign Tavares or had the cap space to do so.
As a consolation prize, the Avs got defenseman Ian Cole and forward Matt Calvert from Columbus and will stand between $10-$13 million under the salary cap when the season begins. They will have the flexibility to make moves in 2018-19 without behind strapped with a $11 million annual cap, which is what Toronto now has by winning the Tavares sweepstakes.