The Colorado Avalanche signed its most important restricted free agent a day before the market opens.
Sam Malinski and the Avs agreed to a one-year, $1.4 million contract for the 2025-26 season, according to a league source, shoring up the team’s defensive depth while also keeping Malinski off the NHL market.
Colorado isn’t expected to be big shoppers when free agency begins Tuesday, but the Avs do have more salary cap flexibility than they’ve had in recent seasons. The Avs don’t typically make splashy signings in early July, opting instead to find talent externally through trades, and that could again be the case this summer.