|
Four-year contract for Compher |
|
|
Rick Sadowski
 Colorado Avalanche Blogger •Avalanche Insider • RSS
• Archive
• CONTACT
|
|
|
The Avalanche on Wednesday announced they have signed forward J.T. Compher to a four-year contract through the 2022-23 season.
Compher, 24, was a restricted free agent and had filed for salary arbitration. The contract is worth $14 million, a $3.5 annual average value.
“J.T. has been one of our most versatile forwards over the past two years,” Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic said in a release. “He plays on our power play, kills penalties and has played up and down our lineup. He has scored some big goals late in games and we are counting on him to have an even more expanded role moving forward. We are excited to have him under contract for the next four seasons.”
Compher set career highs for goals (16), assists (16) and points (32) in 66 games last season, his second full year in the NHL. He had six points (four goals, two assists) in 12 playoff games.
A native of Northbrook, Ill., the 6-foot, 193-pound Compher has 60 points (32 goals, 28 assists) in 156 regular-season games with nine points (four goals, five assists) in 18 playoff games.
With four power-play goals, three shorthanded goals and three game-winning goals, Compher was the first Avalanche player to have at least three goals in each category in a season since Sakic in 2000-01.
Compher set a franchise record for the fastest two shorthanded goals (1:25) last season, scoring them while killing the same penalty against the Arizona Coyotes on Nov. 23.
Compher was a second-round pick (No. 35) of the Buffalo Sabres in the 2013 NHL draft. The Avalanche acquired him in the multi-player trade that sent Ryan O’Reilly to the Sabres on June, 26, 2015.
He played three years at the University of Michigan and was a Hobey Baker Award finalist as a junior when he was team captain and had 63 points (16 goals, 47 assists) in 38 games.
Join the Discussion:
»