Former Avalanche Forward Denis Malgin Signs in Switzerland

While the Colorado Avalanche chose not to qualify Denis Malgin last month, that didn’t completely close the door on a return to the team.

That door has now officially been slammed shut.

On Tuesday, Denis Malgin signed a five-year contract with the ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League. The 26 year old forward is a native of Switzerland, so it’s not a huge surprise to see him return home, but the term is a little surprising. It’s possible he has an out-clause in his contract to return to the NHL if he gets an offer, but that has not been confirmed yet.

Malgin did have a four-year contract with ZSC back in 2021, but was able to leave after the first year when he got an offer from the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was dominant that year with ZSC, leading the team with 52 points in 48 games.

Malgin proved to be pretty valuable to the Avalanche in the second half of the year, scoring at a 20 goal pace once he was acquired. Colorado chose not to qualify him because he had arbitration rights. His numbers would have likely resulted in an arbitration award greater than what the Avalanche would have been willing to pay.

Best of luck to Malgin in Switzerland. I can think of worse places to live, personally.