The Colorado Avalanche kept working through July 1 by adding another piece to the back end, signing depth defenseman Noah Juulsen to a two-year contract worth $1.1 million AAV.
Juulsen, 29, comes in as a right-shot option who spent last season with the Philadelphia Flyers. He appeared in 52 games and put up career bests with nine assists and 10 points, finishing just two games shy of his career-high in games played, which came in 2023-24 when he reached 54.
A first-round pick in 2015, Juulsen has spent most of his career in a depth role, and that’s the lane he’s expected to fill in Colorado as well. He played in five playoff games for the Flyers last season, though he was otherwise a healthy scratch.
The fit is pretty clear for the Avalanche. They came into free agency looking for depth on defense behind their top six, and the full group they used in the 2026 playoffs is back. That leaves Juulsen positioned as the No. 7 defenseman.
He also adds to a right-handed-heavy blue line. Juulsen is now the fifth right-shot defenseman under contract for next season, with Devon Toews and Brett Kulak the only lefties. Josh Manson also shoots right, though he can play on the left side.
Juulsen’s signing came on the heels of Colorado bringing in forward Jaden Schwartz to help its middle-six depth up front. After both moves, the Avalanche are sitting with roughly $1.3 million in cap space, along with 12 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders under contract.
In Other News...
Avalanche Just Got Linked To A Center Fans Will Debate
With free agency about to open, Colorados center group is already looking crowded enough to make any outside addition a real conversation starter. The Avalanche have Nathan MacKinnon, Brock Nelson, Nicolas Roy and Fyodor Svechkov in the middle, which is why any reported interest in another veteran pivot immediately invites a debate about fit, role and price.
Boone Jenner brings the sort of experience and faceoff reliability teams tend to covet when the market starts moving, and the idea of him landing in Denver is easy to understand from a hockey sense. The tougher part is the business side, since the Avalanche would likely be looking for something more manageable than his previous deal, and there is still no official move on the board. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Just Added Another Proven Piece To An Already Loaded Roster
A familiar Western Conference name is headed to Denver, as the Avalanche are reportedly adding another experienced forward on a multi-year deal that fits both the roster and the salary cap picture. The move brings a former first-round pick who has already logged time with the Kraken and Blues into a lineup that has spent years building around proven pieces, and it gives Colorado another veteran option to slot into an attack that rarely lacks for talent.
The contract is said to run three years with an average annual value of $3.25 million, a notable shift for a player coming off a richer previous deal. Theres also a local angle here, since he once skated at Colorado College and had long been mentioned as a possible fit in town, which only adds to the sense that this was one of those quiet targets the Avalanche had in mind for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Predators Just Pulled Another Familiar Face From Colorado
The Nashville Predators have added another name familiar to Avalanche circles, signing defenseman Jack Ahcan to a two-year, two-way contract as part of their ongoing roster transition. Ahcan is a player Colorado fans will remember from both the Avalanche and the Colorado Eagles, and he also brings NHL experience from his time with Boston.
For Colorado, the move is a small but noticeable reminder of how often familiar depth pieces can move on when front offices reshape the margins of a roster. Predators general manager Chris MacFarland knows Ahcan from his time in Colorado, which gives the signing a layer of familiarity even as Nashville continues sorting out its blue-line picture. [Read more 🡒]