Avalanche Re-Sign Young Defenseman

Despite a pointless season at the NHL level, the reigning Stanley Cup champions are bringing back Keaton Middleton.

The Colorado Avalanche re-signed the 6-foot-4, 240-pound defenseman to a one-year deal, announced Thursday. The contract is a two-way deal that pays Middleton $750,000 in the NHL and $100,000 in the minors.

The Edmonton native appeared in three games last year at the highest level. In 49 AHL contests for the Colorado Eagles, the 24-year-old Middleton scored 11 points (two goals, nine assists), which is a respectable line of work.

Middleton, who was selected in the fourth round (101st overall) by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2016 NHL Draft, was coming off a two-year entry-level contract with a cap hit of $742,500.

The Avalanche were the first team to give Middleton a shot at the top level. After his junior career ended, Middleton played the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons in the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda alongside his older brother, Jacob Middleton. The latter now plays for the Minnesota Wild.

The move was the latest in what has been a slow off-season for the Avalanche. Colorado, however, did Avs trade three draft picks in the third and fifth round of the 2022 NHL Draft and an additional third-round pick in next year’s draft to acquire Alexandar Georgiev. As a result, Darcy Kuemper headed to free agency and was subsequently acquired by the Washington Capitals.

We’ll have to see if the big gamble behind the net pays off for the Avalanche next season.

Stanley Cup Aspirations Cue’ the Duck Boats Pod

The boys are back after a long break but have plenty to talk about as the playoffs are in full swing. We go series by series, looking at how teams have fared so far and who will come out on top. Thanks for listening! Please rate and review our show on your favorite listening platform. Check out our partner's website at www.insidetherink.com for all your latest hockey news.
  1. Stanley Cup Aspirations
  2. The Final Countdown
  3. Here Come the Playoffs
  4. Home Stretch
  5. Kevy Cooks

Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Ryan O'Hara

Award-winning sportswriter from Denver, Colorado.

Leave a Reply

Boston Bruins Re-Sign John Farinacci

Boston Bruins Re-Sign John Farinacci

The Boston Bruins re-signed the 24-year-old forward to a one-year, two-way contract

Read More
Edmonton Oilers Logo

Edmonton Oilers Coaching Staff Changes

Kris Knoblauch will have a couple of new fellow employees behind the bench. With the roster seeing plenty of changes this offseason, you might as well also change the people who direct the roster on the ice. The newest members of the Edmonton Oilers coaching staff are… Two straight Cup Final appearances are good, but […]

Read More
Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Scott Sabourin

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Scott Sabourin

The Tampa Bay Lightning signed Scott Sabourin to a one-year, two-way contract.

Read More