NHL Rumors: 2 Avalanche Players Likely to be Forced Out After Brock Nelson Signing

The Colorado Avalanche, after their re-signing of pending UFA center Brock Nelson this week, have just over $1 million in projected cap space available, and that means some contracts (and players) will have to go.

Per Troy Renck in the Denver Post, GM Chris MacFarland has "penalty boxed himself into a corner" by handing out a $7.5 million AAV to keep Nelson for the next three years. He suggests that two moves will be "likely" in order to free up some wiggle room.

Trade center Ross Colton
Buy out forward Miles Wood

Colton has another two years to run on his four-year deal with a $4 million cap hit. After a sizzling start to the season with eight goals in October, the 28-year-old saw his production and ice time diminish significantly in the second half, managing just three goals over the last three months, while his TOI dipped from 16 minutes in the first half of the season, to just about 12 minutes average on ice in the second half.

His full no-trade clause reverts to a modified one on July 1st.

Miles Wood is a buyout candidate for Avalanche

Wood had a tough year in Denver, missing two months with an upper-body injury, and then being healthy scratched on several occasions after he returned. He averaged a career-low of 11:21 of ice time, and posted career-worst numbers of four goals and eight points in 37 games. He still has a whopping four years to run on his $2.5 million AAV. Given that term, it would be tough to find a trade partner.

But a buyout would reduce the cap hit to just $708,000 for the coming season, then $1.208 million for the next three years, before dropping back to $708k for four more.

In the end, while the cap crunch is real in Denver, Renck figures they had to re-sign Nelson in order to ice their best possible lineup to start next season. But what the rest of this summer holds for them, remains to be seen.