Several former Colorado Avalanche players found new teams on the first day of 2026 NHL free agency, with Joel Kiviranta, Ivan Ivan and Alexander Kerfoot all landing new deals.
Kiviranta was the biggest name to move on Wednesday. The 30-year-old went back to the first organization he ever played for, signing a one-year, $1 million contract with the Dallas Stars. The fit was obvious after the Avalanche added Jaden Schwartz, and Kiviranta now appears headed for a larger role in Dallas.
That return also carries a familiar connection. The Stars are cap-strapped and will need inexpensive depth to fill out a roster built around bigger names, and Kiviranta gives them exactly that.
There’s also the Finn factor, with former teammate Mikko Rantanen already in Dallas. For Kiviranta, it was a natural landing spot.
Ivan Ivan also moved on, signing a one-year deal worth $850K with the Boston Bruins. The 23-year-old was dealt to Boston for RFA forward Fabian Lysell before the free agency period, and now gets a shot at a fresh start after becoming a fan favorite in Colorado.
Kerfoot’s move sent him from one Central Division team to another. After time with the Arizona Coyotes/Utah Mammoth, the 31-year-old agreed to a two-year, $7 million deal with the Nashville Predators. It’s another example of Chris MacFarland bringing familiar faces to Music City.
For Colorado, the departures were part of the business side of hockey. For the players involved, Wednesday brought new homes - and, in Kiviranta’s case, a return to where it all started. The only real downside for Avalanche fans will be seeing “Kivi” in a different uniform next season, with the Stars and Avalanche set to meet as division rivals.
In Other News...
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Colorados offseason swap of Jack Drury to Nashville was always going to be judged by what came back, and the Avalanches attention now turns to whether Fedor Svechkov can settle into the kind of role Drury occupied. Colorado also brought in Zachary LHeureux, but Svechkov is the one expected to get the clearest look as the club sorts out its lower-line center mix and tries to keep its depth from thinning out after the trade.
Svechkov arrives with a profile that gives the Avalanche some reason to believe they may have found a workable replacement, even if the fit is still being sorted out. He is expected to compete for a bottom-six job, likely somewhere in the third-line center or fourth-line range, and the broader hope is that he can bring enough two-way value to make the deal look smarter over time. Drury has already moved on with an extension in Nashville, so Colorados side of the trade will be measured by whether Svechkov can turn opportunity into a steady NHL role. [Read more 🡒]
Sakic Just Addressed Two Avalanche Needs Fans Have Been Stressing Over
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For a team that has been trying to keep its core intact while patching obvious holes, those additions mattered as much as the departures. One of Colorados unrestricted free agents also found a new home elsewhere, leaving the Avalanche with a little more work to do as the market settled and the roster picture kept shifting around the edges. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Blue Line Buzz Just Took A Turn Fans Feared
The Avalanche are already thinking ahead to the trade deadline, and that usually means one thing in Denver: flexibility matters more than a quick fix. Colorado has been managing its cap space with an eye on later in the season, a sign the front office wants room to maneuver when the market tightens and the real buying begins.
Joe Sakics approach suggests the Avalanche are less interested in forcing a move now than in keeping their options open for when the right player becomes available. For a team that knows how fast the deadline can reshape a contender, that kind of patience can be just as important as any immediate roster addition. [Read more 🡒]