Colorado
Avalanche

Avalanche Team Report

Updated: May 29, 2012 06:17 EST

It wouldn't have come as a surprise if Milan Hejduk had elected to hang up his skates for good following a disappointing 2011-12 season, or if the Avalanche had decided it would be best to part ways with the potential free agent.

Instead, the parties agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract that will bring back the 36-year-old team captain for a 14th NHL season, all with Colorado.

"Over the years, Milan has been an instrumental part of our organization's success," Avalanche general manager Greg Sherman said. "He has represented this franchise with class and will continue to complement the young nucleus of players we have been building this team around."

Hejduk, a native of the Czech Republic, hasn't been available for comment because he is in Europe with his family. He said in a statement: "My family and I are very excited to continue my career in Denver. I believe in this organization and our young players, and look forward to helping the team in any way that I can."

Hejduk was named team captain on Nov. 14, succeeding Adam Foote, who retired after the 2010-11 season. But it wasn't a good year for Hejduk, whose 14 goals matched the career low he set as a rookie in 1998-99. He had one goal in the final 25 games and his 37 points were a career low.

Still, Hejduk is highly respected by his teammates. The last remaining player from the Avalanche's 2001 Stanley Cup championship team, he is admired by everyone in the locker room.

"He does everything the right way," Avalanche center Paul Stastny said. "He has a lot of respect in the locker room. He's quiet, but around the guys he opens up. He's not the most vocal guy, but when he does say something, people listen."

Hejduk ranks second in Quebec/Colorado franchise history for games (991), is fourth in goals (371) and points (794), and fifth in assists (423). He will join Joe Sakic as the only player in franchise history to play in 1,000 games and the first to appear in them all while wearing an Avalanche uniform; Sakic played in 1,378 regular-season games, 508 with Quebec and 870 with Colorado.

Only two Czech-born players in NHL history have registered more points than Hejduk, Jaromir Jagr (1,653) and Patrik Elias (894).

Hejduk was a fourth-round pick (87th overall) in the 1994 NHL draft by Quebec. He won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the league's top goal scorer with 50 in 2002-03 and has played in three NHL All-Star Games. He scored 20 or more goals in 11 consecutive seasons to tie Sakic's franchise record before falling short this past season.

Hejduk ranks among the franchise's top playoff scorers with 34 goals (third), 76 points (fourth) and 42 assists (fifth). He's also fifth in postseason games with 112 appearances.

SEASON HIGHLIGHT: The Avalanche had a 14-17-1 record on Dec. 15 after turning a 4-2 third period lead in San Jose into a disheartening 5-4 loss. But the Avalanche rebounded to climb back into playoff contention by winning nine of the next 10 games, with four of the victories coming on the road.

TURNING POINT: As well as the Avalanche played against Eastern Conference teams, posting a 13-4-1 record, the club went 28-31-5 against the West and was a dismal 8-14-1 against Northwest Division opponents, only one of which -- Vancouver -- made the playoffs. The Avalanche went 0-4-2 against the Canucks, twice blowing third-period leads on home ice and settling for shootout and overtime defeats that cost it two valuable points. Colorado lost four of six games to Calgary, all in regulation, and had to win the final two meetings against both Minnesota and Edmonton just to finish 3-3 against each of those sub-.500 teams.

--The Avalanche signed three goalie prospects to entry-level contracts: Sami Aittokallio, Kieran Millan and Ken Patterson. Aittokallio, 19, was a fourth-round selection (107th overall) in the 2010 NHL draft. A native of Tampere, Finland, he led his country to a fourth-place finish at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championships with a 3-2-0 record with one shutout, a 2.52 goals-against average and .937 save percentage.

An Edmonton native, Millan, 22, was a fifth-round pick in 2009. He spent four years at Boston University and posted an 81-42-12 record, setting school records for career wins, games (138) and saves (3,768). He led the Terriers to the NCAA championship as a freshman and posted a 20-14-1 record as a senior with three shutouts, a 2.60 average and .923 save percentage.

Patterson, 22, was a fourth-round pick (113th overall) in the 2007 draft and spent four year the University of Minnesota. He is from St. Louis Park, Minn. Patterson helped the Gophers gain a place in the 2012 Frozen Four and was named to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association All-Star team. He compiled a 28-14-1 record with seven shutouts, a 2.32 average and .907 save percentage. Patterson finished with a 44-29-9 record and his .912 career save percentage is the best in school history.

--The Avalanche will have some local competition for fans in 2012-13 with the emergence of the Denver Cutthroats, who will play their inaugural season in the Central Hockey League. The Cutthroats -- the cutthroat trout is Colorado's state fish -- will play downtown in the Denver Coliseum. Game day ticket prices will range from $15 to $44. The team will be coached by Derek Armstrong, who had 72 goals and 149 assists in 477 games over parts of 14 NHL seasons.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We had some bumps at home. We were a better road team at the start of the year and we were not as strong at home as we would like. And then the roles kind of reversed a little bit. We became a better home team and we weren't as strong on the road." -- Avalanche coach Joe Sacco, who has set a goal of improving the team's record at home after it posted a mediocre 22-17-2 mark at the Pepsi Center in 2011-12.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Rookie left wing Gabriel Landeskog is a leading candidate for the Calder Trophy, which goes to the NHL Rookie of the Year. Just 19, Landeskog scored a team-best 22 goals -- five of them game winners -- and led the Avalanche with a plus-20 plus/minus rating. A 6-foot-1, 204-pounder, Landeskog relishes skating into the corners and in the front of the net to bang bodies and to either retrieve or shoot pucks. He is a star in the making.

MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER: Defenseman Jan Hejda was supposed to supply size and grit when the Avalanche signed him to a four-year, $13 million contract as a free agent on July 1. The 6-foot-4, 237-pounder played well at times and led all Avalanche defensemen with five goals, but he was a minus player in 31 of the 81 games he played and had a team-worst minus-17 rating.

BIGGEST NEEDS: The Avalanche could use a stud defenseman and more power-play production from the defense, which contributed a mere five goals with the man advantage -- three by Kyle Quincey, who was traded to Tampa Bay on Feb. 21, and one each from Shane O'Brien and Erik Johnson. But the team isn't likely to sign an expensive blue liner in the free-agent market. Tyson Barrie or Stefan Elliott, who were big scorers in junior hockey, showed promise during their rookie seasons and might be able to provide some much-needed goals during power plays. Barrie didn't have a point in 10 games. Elliott had four goals and nine assists in 39 games.

The Avalanche needs Duchene and Downie to bounce back from injury-plagued seasons and for forward Peter Mueller, assuming he's re-signed, to play the way he did before sustaining a concussion that cost him the entire 2010-11 season and the first half in 2011-12. Center Paul Stastny was one of the team's top producers down the stretch. But Stastny, a guy with a $6.6 million annual salary, needs to provide more than 21 goals and 32 assists.

FREE AGENT FOCUS: Now that captain Milan Hejduk has re-signed, five players will be unrestricted free agents July 1 and eight others will be unrestricted. The Avalanche will have to up the ante to keep right wing David Jones, who hit the 20-goal mark for the second year in a row on a contract that paid him $2.5 million. Colorado should keep him, along with center Jay McClement ($1.45 million in 2011-12), who scored 10 goals as a fourth liner and killed penalties, and rugged left wing Cody McLeod ($1.03 million).

Defenseman Shane O'Brien ($1.1 million) wants to return, and he provided a decent season that included three goals, 17 assists, 103 penalty minutes and a plus-3 rating. Defenseman Matt Hunwick ($1.55 million) played well when he was finally given a chance down the stretch, but he's on the smallish size (5-11, 190) and plays the same offensive-type game as rookies Tyson Barrie, 20, and Stefan Elliott, 21.

The Avalanche undoubtedly will tender lucrative offer sheets to unrestricted centers Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly, both of whom have completed entry-level contracts. Colorado also needs to keep right wings Steve Downie ($1.85 million) and Peter Mueller ($2 million), left wing Jamie McGinn ($680,000) and defensemen Erik Johnson ($2.6 million) and Ryan Wilson ($1.275 million). Forward Kevin Porter ($850,000) is expendable.

PLAYER NOTES:

--C Paul Stastny needs to show in 2012-13 that his $6.6 million annual salary is justified. Stastny, who has two years remaining on his contract, has averaged just 55 points in the past two seasons. He too often doesn't produce when a big goal or assist could make the difference in securing a win for an Avalanche team that has missed the playoffs two years in a row. He went 10 games without a goal during one drought this past season and twice went seven games without a goal.

--C Jay McClement is expected to receive a nice raise from the $1.425 million he made in 2011-12, whether it comes from the Avalanche or another NHL team. McClement was a valuable role player for Colorado and is eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 1. McClement's 10 goals were two shy of his career high and he was a solid defensive player in even-strength situations and while killing penalties.

--RW Milan Hejduk will return for his second season as Avalanche captain and 14th NHL campaign. Hejduk, 36, signed a one-year, $2 million contract after making $3 million on a one-year deal in 2011-12. He's coming off a disappointing season in which he matched his career low for goals (14) and set a career low for points (37). Hejduk would have been eligible for unrestricted free agency July 1 but said he had no interest in playing for another team.