Avalanche sign Brad Stuart, Cody McLeod to contract extensions
The Colorado Avalanche have signed defenseman Brad Stuart and forward Cody McLeod to contract extensions, the team announced Monday.
Stuart's extension is for two years, while McLeod's is for three years. According to TSN's Darren Dreger, Stuart's deal is worth $7.2 million. Stuart is now signed with the team through 2016-17 and McLeod through 2017-18.
• MUIR: Bruins finally sign Krug, Smith
The Avalanche acquired Stuart this offseason from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2016 NHL draft and a sixth-round pick in the 2017 draft.
Now entering his 15th year in the NHL, Stuart has played 985 games for five different teams, the last two with the Sharks in what was his second stint with the team. He's averaged over 20 minutes of ice time in each of his seasons except for last year, when he posted an average ice time of 19:10. Stuart has 322 career points and a career plus-14 rating.
McLeod, 30, has played his entire seven-year career with Colorado and has 91 total points and 978 penalty minutes. He had a career-high 20 points in 2008-09 and 13 last season. After setting a career high with an average ice time of 13:05 in 2012-13, McLeod dipped to 10:20 last season.
The signings capped an eventful offseason for the Avalanche. The team signed star forward Ryan O'Reilly to a two-year contract after a protracted dispute and signedTyson Barrie, who led the team's defensemen with 13 goals last season, to a two-year contract as well.
• SI.com's preseason 2014-15 All-Star team
Last week, it was announced winger Patrick Bordeleauwill miss three months after having offseason back surgery.
Colorado, which won the Central Division last season before falling in the first round of the playoffs to the Minnesota Wild, opens the regular season Oct. 9 against the Wild. The Avalanche are 0-5 in the preseason thus far.
- Ben Estes