It wasn’t expected to be a big free agency day for the Colorado Avalanche as the calendar flipped to July 1st and the beginning of the 2026-27 league year but GM Joe Sakic was able to get a couple cheaper contracts inked before closing shop for the summer.
Enter Jaden Schwartz , a 34-year-old left wing most recently of the Seattle Kraken but was part of the St. Louis Blues 2019 Stanley Cup team. Colorado inked him to a three-year deal at a $3.25 million cap hit per year. He scored 26 points and 11
goals in 50 games last season as he was limited with injury. Sakic mentioned Schwartz as having a top nine role and will likely be utilized all over the lineup.
There was just enough money left over to make one more addition to the Avalanche roster and that is in right shot defenseman Noah Juulsen who is most recently of the Philadelphia Flyers where he played 52 games and scored 10 points last season. He signs for two-years at $1.1 million in each year. This feels like a classic seventh defenseman addition and gives Colorado a depth option with size. They have a plethora of right handed defensemen again but are used to working with that type of personnel.
Joe Sakic met with the media and reiterated the plan is to mostly start with this group and then accrue cap space for the trade deadline. Barring something they can’t pass up, the organization seems comfortable with the moves made this offseason. More minor league signings will follow and new acquisition Fabian Lysell needs a contract extension but until the Cale Makar contract is (hopefully) executed, this feels like a quiet summer ahead.
