Evan’s NHL Daily: Avalanche Lock Up Colton, Kaut Interview Drama

The Colorado Avalanche locked up their big acquisition from the off-season on Tuesday, and now have a clear idea of how much room they’ve got to work with the rest of the summer, if they choose to go after anyone else on the market in the NHL.

Obviously, it was going to happen, but the first pick in the NHL Draft, Connor Bedard, signed his entry-level contract on Monday. And Martin Kaut may have left for the Czech Republic, but an interview in his home country explains why, and forced the Sharks to respond.

All that and more in this Tuesday edition of Evan’s Daily.

Colorado Hockey Now

Before he officially signed his new contract, Ross Colton did an interview on the radio in Tampa Bay, where he talked about the trade, as well as why he’s switching numbers.

Later in the day, Colton and the Avalanche came to an agreement on a four-year contract, as the two sides avoided arbitration.

This actually was written before Colton signed, but is still relevant. The Avalanche still have some holes to fill on their roster. What are those holes?

On Tuesday, we’ll dive deeper into the Colton contract, and I’ll be on Sportsnet 650 in Vancouver talking about the moves the Avalanche have made this summer.

Around the NHL

Connor Bedard has officially signed his entry-level deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, and he’ll be suiting up for them this season. How much he’ll get paid depends on how he performs, and the contract has some fun performance bonuses in it.

Bedard’s #Blackhawks ELC is a $950k cap hit but up to a $4.5M AAV value based on performance bonuses, the maximum value an entry-level deal can be.

Here’s a breakdown of those bonuses from @PuckPedia: https://t.co/bT9IMMEhDB pic.twitter.com/2xbxGrWmhS

— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) July 17, 2023

National Hockey Now

Pittsburgh: What is Drew O’Connor worth?

Boston: The Bruins signed three of their restricted free agents, although none of them are big names

Florida: The Panthers locked up Casey Fitzgerald to a two-way contract.

San Jose: Martin Kaut has left the NHL for now, but an interview in the Czech Republic where he claimed that the Sharks AHL coach tried to make him fight “each game” has forced the Sharks to respond.

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