Parker Kelly, Joel Kiviranta and T.J. Tynan all join a cluster of forwards who will battle for spots on the fourth line, or become key figures for the Colorado Eagles in the AHL. All of the signings besides Drouin are for less than $1.15 million, which means no cost against the cap if they are sent to the Eagles.

MacFarland said the Avs will keep looking, but beyond a contract that starts in 2025-26 for Mikko Rantanen, Alexandar Georgiev or Logan O’Connor, any further additions are also likely to be from the bargain bin.

Just finding a way to retain Drouin, while also adding a solid third-pairing defenseman, made this first day of free agency a big success for the Avs.

“I think we’re pretty happy with how the day went,” MacFarland said. “I think these signings as a whole kind of solidified our group.”

The Avs’ busy day

Even with limited cap space, the Colorado Avalanche still found a way to make a fair amount of moves on the opening day of free agency in the NHL. Here’s a look at who’s coming and who’s going:

Who’s in

Player Position 2023-24 team Jonathan DrouinFAvalancheCalvin de HaanDLightningParker KellyFSenatorsJoel KivirantaFAvalancheCalle RosenDBluesJacob MacDonaldDSharksT.J. TynanFKings

Who’s out

Player Position New team Sean WalkerDHurricanesYakov TreninFWildBrandon DuhaimeFCapitalsRiley TufteFBruinsNate ClurmanDPenguins

____

©2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at denverpost.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.