The Avalanche on Wednesday announced they’ve signed goalie
Pavel Francouz to a one-year contract for the 2018-19 season.
Francouz, 27, spent the past three seasons with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL in Russia. He went 15-11-5 this past season with a 1.80 goals-against average and a .946 save percentage.
Francouz, who is from The Plzen, Czech Republic, had a 32-27-11 record with a 1.73 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage in 83 career regular-season games with Traktor Chelyabinsk. He went 8-9 in 18 playoff games with a 1.98 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage.
He’ll play for the Czech Republic at the 2018 IIHF World Championships in Denmark that begins Friday. It will be his fifth WC tournament. He split time with
Petr Mrazek at last year’s event, posting a 3-1 record with a 1.49 goals-against average and .910 save percentage.
Francouz also played for the Czechs at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, going 2-2 with a 2.27 goals-against average and .905 save percentage.
Francouz played three seasons with HC Litvinov of the Czech Extraliga before joining the KHL. He had a 2.23 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage in 140 games. He was named the league’s top goalie in 2012-13 and 2014-15.
Francouz’s signing fills a need in the organization.
Semyon Varlamov has one year left on his contract, but
Jonathan Bernier and
Andrew Hammond are eligible for unrestricted free agency July 1.
Spencer Martin will be a restricted free agent.
Joe Cannata, who’s playing for the ECHL Colorado Eagles, will be unrestricted.
Aside from the NHL roster, the Avalanche will need goalies for the Eagles, who are moving up to the AHL in 2018-19, and for the new ECHL franchise that has yet to be revealed.
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Three Avalanche players –
Sven Andrighetto (Switzerland),
Tyson Jost (Canada) and
Mikko Rantanen (Finland) – will play in the World Championships.
Nikita Zadorov hoped to play for Russia, but he’s about to undergo shoulder surgery, according to the Russian web site
Vesti.ru.
Here’s the
ZADOROV STORY. You’ll need to click the translate button, unless you can read Russian.
Captain
Gabriel Landeskog won’t play for Sweden because of a stomach muscle injury he sustained against Nashville in Game 3 of the Avalanche’s first-round playoff series.
Landeskog told the Swedish newspaper
Expressen that he won’t need surgery.
Here’s the
LANDESKOG STORY. Again, hit the translate button.
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Multiple outlets have reported that the Dallas Stars will hire University of Denver coach
Jim Montgomery as a replacement for coach
Ken Hitchcock. The Stars are expected to make the announcement Friday.
Montgomery, 48, recently completed his fifth season at Denver. He led the Pioneers to four consecutive NCAA tournament quarterfinal appearances, to the Frozen Four in 2016 and 2017, and to the national championship in 2017.
Colorado Avalanche Blogger •Avalanche Insider • 
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