During his fifth season in the NHL, winger Rene Bourque in February 2010 signed a six-year, front-loaded $20 million contract extension with the Calgary Flames and seemed to be entering his prime.
He had 27 goals in 2010-11 with the Flames, but since has been considered a monumental underachiever — and bust — as he bounced from Calgary to Montreal, Anaheim and Columbus.
That contract finally has expired.
Now, at age 34, Bourque is just trying to catch on with the Avalanche, attending Colorado’s training camp on a professional tryout (PTO) basis and hoping that he sufficiently impresses new Avalanche coach Jared Bednar and his staff to be on the opening-night roster Oct.