The Avalanche introduced first-round pick
Tyson Jost to the media at the Pepsi Center on Monday, and I was among the throng.
Here's my
TYSON JOST story on NHL.com.
A very mature teen-ager.
A very mature teen.
Meantime, general manager
Joe Sakic gave some updates on the
Tyson Barrie contract negotiations, discussed the
Reto Berra and
Nick Holden trades, and gave his views on the unrestricted free agent period that begins July 1.
Sakic said he was pleased with the six players the Avalanche drafted, none of whom will play in the NHL this season.
"We just keeping adding to our depth in the organization," he said.
Also, the Avalanche will hold their development camp starting July 5. No details yet, but Jost will be there.
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On Barrie, a restricted free agent with arbitration rights:
"We had great conversations with his agency in Buffalo," Sakic said. "We'll revisit. Hopefully we'll ... whether it's short term, long term or we have an arbitration hearing, I'm not too concerned about Tyson. He'll be here."
Sakic said he made a long-term proposal to Barrie's representatives last week in Buffalo before the NHL draft.
The Avalanche have tendered a qualifying offer to restricted free agent defenseman
Duncan Siemens, a first-round pick (No. 11) in 2011. They didn't qualify defenseman
Brandon Gormley.
Also qualified: Barrie,
Nathan MacKinnon, Calvin Pickard, Mikhail Grigorenko.
The Avalanche plan to buy out defenseman
Brad Stuart and aren't planning to re-sign defenseman
Zach Redmond.
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The Avalanche traded Berra to Florida last week for minor-league center
Rocco Grimaldi.
"Reto we moved because Calvin's going to be our backup," Sakic said, calling
Semyon Varlamov and Pickard a "one-two punch" in goal.
"We wanted to give Reto an opportunity. Florida really wanted a backup for
Roberto Luongo. We're happy because Calvin's going to be here and also because Reto has an opportunity to stay in the NHL."
Holden was traded to the New York Rangers for a 2017 fourth-round pick.
"It was more of a move to free up room for
(Nikita) Zadorov and
(Eric) Gelinas," Sakic said. "It's making room for these guys."
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Don't expect the Avalanche to make any significant moves in free agency.
"Nothing big," Sakic said. "We're not going to make a splash or anything, but we are going to look for some one- or two-year deals that are good fits for our club. Everybody mentions defensemen, but that's something if we acquire one, it's not going to be through free agency."
So the possibility of trading for one remains.