DENVER — Erik Johnson and JT Compher are officially moving on from the Colorado Avalanche as the NHL's free agency period begins.
Johnson was the longest-tenured athlete in Denver, joining the team in February 2011. The Buffalo Sabres signed him Saturday to a one-year, $3.25 million deal. It's a solid arrangement for the veteran defenseman, who didn't score a goal during the regular season last year and only notched eight assists.
One of the other longest-tenured Avs, JT Compher, signed with the Red Wings Saturday on a five-year deal worth $5.5 million annually. Compher is coming off a career year, where he notched 52 points on a career-best 35 assists. He's a Michigan grad and is from the Chicago area.
Ryan Johansen, who the Avs acquired in a trade right before the NHL draft, will likely be plugged into the second center position.
For their part, the Avs picked up forwards Miles Wood from the New Jersey Devils and Jonathan Drouin from the Montreal Canadiens.
Wood signed a six-year, $2.5 million annual deal. Drouin picked up a one-year, $825,000 deal.
Wood, 27, appeared in 76 games for the Devils this past season, recording 27 points and equaling his career high in assists. He added two points in eight Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Wood’s father, Randy, was a left wing who played 741 NHL games with the NY Islanders, Buffalo, Toronto and Dallas from 1986-97.
Drouin, 28, recorded 29 points in 58 games for the Canadiens this past season. He was teammates with current Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon from 2011-13 on the Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
The Avalanche also re-signed defenseman Bo Byram, who was a restricted free agent, to a two-year contract at $3.85 million annually. Byram helped the Avalanche win the 2022 Stanley Cup, recording nine points while appearing in all 20 postseason outings. While he missed time last season due to injury, he still managed to score 10 goals and notch 14 assists.
The Avs also re-signed Andrew Cogliano on a one-year deal worth $825,000. The 36-year-old veteran recorded 19 points with 10 goals this season, and his +6 plus-minus rating was his best since 2018.
Sunday, the team announced they have re-signed veteran defenseman Jack Johnson to a one-year contract. Johnson won the Stanley Cup with the Avs in 2021-22.
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