It is the middle of July, and the Colorado Avalanche still have $4.12 million left in cap space. They also have room for just two more contracts this upcoming season. So what are they waiting for? The free-agent market is not getting any better. The fourth line of the Avalanche for the start of the season could be a mix of Colorado Eagles and rookies. Who could the Avalanche pursue to improve that fourth line to make it more competitive? They have little room to work with, so they would have to go cheap on both contracts.

Michael Carcone (Wing, Center)

Carcone has been in the Arizona/Utah system since the 2020–21 season and made the jump to the NHL full-time in 2023–24. Before that, he was a thorn in every team’s side in the Pacific Division of the American Hockey League. In 65 games with the Tucson Roadrunners, Carcone racked up 85 points to lead the AHL. He could provide a ton of speed on the third and fourth lines with a nasty wrist shot. Last season he had 19 points for the brand new Utah Hockey Club and is now looking for a new contract. The Avalanche could easily get Carcone for around one million for the season on a two-way contract. A good way to think of Carcone is that he is a lot like Alex Barre-Boulet, but better.

Joel Kiviranta (Left Wing)

Do we really need to explain why the Avalanche need to re-sign Joel Kiviranta? He had a career year last season, tallying 16 goals and seven assists. In the previous season, Kiviranta had just nine points. Because he’s played two seasons with the Avalanche already, there would be no adjustment period, and the team could use him on the penalty kill again. With the fourth as it stands, his production may not reach the heights that it did last season, though. The Avalanche could probably get a deal done with Kiviranta for around $1.2 million, although our guess is that he is looking for term, not the payout.

Tyler Motte (Center, Wing)

His grit and defensive play are well-known, although his offensive production is not. He would excel on the penalty kill for the Avalanche and could jump up to the third line when needed. At 30-years old, he could look for a bigger contract, but the Avalanche could probably offer one million to him. People describe Motte as a “low-maintenance” player who brings a lot of hustle to the bottom-six. This is something that the Avalanche are always in search of: hustle and speed.


Although the management for the Avalanche mentioned they wanted to keep the same team they had at the end of the season, we all know that will not work. We have seen the departure of Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood through a trade, and the addition of defenseman Brent Burns has been the biggest one. But the Avalanche still have some work to do on the bottom-six and these plates could help with that process. It would be detrimental for the Avalanche not to do anything and depend on the top-six of the Eagles to do the job of NHL players.