The Colorado Avalanche have been busy this offseason. They re-signed vital free agents, filled out the forward group, and loaded up the defensive core, but are they done making changes and signing new names? More specifically, do they offer anyone a professional tryout contract (PTO) to see how they might fit with the team during training camp? There are few high-quality talents still available on the free-agent market, so it makes sense to offer tryouts rather than guaranteed contracts at this point. This approach involves minimal risk and has the potential for a payoff.
The Avalanche’s last PTO fit very well and helped the team in the long run: Joel Kiviranta came into training camp last season on one. He didn’t earn an NHL contract right away, starting the season in the American Hockey League (AHL), but he earned one thanks to his hard work. In 56 games last season, he scored three goals and recorded nine points. He played bottom-six minutes, was great on the penalty kill, and even helped in the playoffs with a goal and an assist. With the 2024 training camp approaching, here are the three best remaining free agents the Avalanche could offer a PTO.
Dominik Kubalik (LW)
The Avalanche already did their share of scouting the Ottawa Senators when they signed former Senator and first-round pick Erik Brannstrom to the team; Dominik Kubalik, a proven scoring winger, is another one. Kubalik, 29 years old, had a rough season in Ottawa compared to his previous seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings. Coming off a career campaign with the Red Wings that saw him score 20 goals and 45 points in 81 games, Kubalik regressed with the Senators, scoring 11 goals and 15 points in 74 games. A change in scenery from a rebuilding team to an organization with Stanley Cup aspirations might be the best thing for Kubalik to regain his scoring touch.
Arguably, his biggest strength is scoring goals. At 6-foot-2, he can play on both wings, which is useful if the Avs need to shuffle the lineup. He has seen plenty of power-play time in his career, recording 17 points for the Red Wings; before that, he recorded 14 with the Blackhawks during the 2020-21 season. There are rumblings of him heading back to Switzerland (per Watson) if he doesn’t receive a new NHL contract, but nothing is confirmed. Giving him a look to bolster the bottom six with his goal-scoring upside would be worthwhile.
Tyler Johnson (C/RW)
Another possible addition to bolster the bottom six is a two-time Stanley-Cup winner with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tyler Johnson. He moved on to a rebuilding Blackhawks team last season and still scored 17 goals and 31 points in 67 games while averaging the most ice time since the 2018-19 season with the Lightning. At 34 years old, he might not be the same player he was when he entered the league – scoring 72 points and making the All-Rookie First Team – but he has been consistent throughout his career. Granted, the points he put up in Chicago were thanks to an increased role on a rebuilding team, and he was given more opportunities. In Colorado, the opportunities might diminish but not affect his production.
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Offering Johnson a PTO would allow management to assess him in the fourth-line center role. Offensively, there is no doubt he can produce, but his defence might be an issue, so pairing him with players who can create offense while being defensively responsible could be a real boost to the team. Newly-added Parker Kelly, re-signed Kiviranta, or even some fresh legs in Nikolai Kovalenko could pair nicely with Johnson’s game and help add more depth scoring to the forward group.
James van Riemsdyk
Arguably the most intriguing player on this list. The oldest and the one that if he looks good, he can be a game changer, James van Riemsdyk. At 35 years old, “JVR” came off a solid season with the Boston Bruins, putting up 11 goals and 27 assists for 38 points in 71 games while averaging just over 13 minutes of ice time. Their central question when giving him a PTO is whether he has anything left in the tank. He has had a career with over 1,000 games played and 600-plus points. Does he have enough to keep up with the Avalanche’s game style of fast-paced, high-octane scoring? There is no doubt of his skill, reliability, or what he can do with a good supporting crew around him. Is he fast enough to pair with a player like Miles Wood or Kelly? This would be the biggest what-ifs when it comes to giving him PTO.
However, last season, van Riemsdyk’s possession quality metrics were some of the best of his career, with the Boston team controlling a whopping 60.7% of expected goals when he was on the ice at even strength. Although he wasn’t particularly adept at controlling shot attempts outright, with a 49.6 CF%, he wasn’t on the ice for very many high-danger chances against. His two-way play thrived in a Bruins system that allowed fewer total expected goals last year compared to their record-breaking 2022-23 season when they earned 135 points.
We are getting closer to seeing what the Avalanche lineup will look like on opening day. Signing these players to PTOs could work in the long run. The beauty of a PTO is that in cases like Kiviranta, it works out and the team likes the fit. But there is no risk if it doesn’t work out. The Avalanche might be happy with their current roster, but if there are doubts or they are looking for an additional boost, these players are worth considering.
