Avalanche Re-sign Andre Burakovsky, GM Sakic pegged it as the top priority

Taylor Hall, Alex Pietrangelo, Torey Krug, Henrik Lundqvist. It seems if you are an Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) this weird and unusual offseason, then there are rumors Joe Sakic and the Colorado Avalanche are interested. However, after Day One of NHL Free Agency, two of those four players are gone, and the Avalanche looks to be staying the course with the group they have. One of those being Andre Burakovsky. “Signing Andre was a priority,” according to GM Joe Sakic, and on Saturday morning, the Avalanche re-signed the forward to a two-year contract.

The Colorado Avalanche has several decisions to make on players, and Burakovsky was the first. The forward was traded to the Colorado Avalanche last year from the Washington Capitals and signed a one year deal as a Restricted Free Agent. After some underwhelming performances in Washington, it was a chance for Sakic to add some possible top-six talent without the long term gamble. For Burakovsky, it was a chance to prove he could play that role and set himself up for a substantial next contract.

After a season where he had a career year in goals and assists its safe to say that the gamble paid off for both sides; now Burakovsky has been rewarded with a two-year deal with a $4.9 million Average Annual Value (AAV) deal to stay in Colorado as they maintain a push towards a Stanley Cup. The Avalanche keeps a player who split minutes between the top two lines at a reasonable price. It also doesn’t hinder the contract of TSN’s number one player Nathan MacKinnon in 2023.

It’s a short term gamble for the player on himself that he can keep producing numbers similar to last season. If he does, that number is going up again when he renegotiates in 2022, whether at the Avalanche or elsewhere.

“Signing Andre was a priority for us this offseason. He has been a great addition to our team and was a big part of our success this season. He’s a very skilled player who brings speed and scoring to our lineup, and we’re excited to have him under contract for two more years.”

Colorado Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic on re-signing Andre Burakovsky