Breaking: Avalanche announce a huge signing that could impact the playoffs.

What a move.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 4 years ago
Breaking: Avalanche announce a huge signing that could impact the playoffs.
Jerome Davis/Icon SMI/Zuma

The Colorado Avalanche have just announced a huge signing, and even though they are already 2 games into their first round series against the Calgary Flames in t he 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, it is a signing that could have an immediate impact on this series.

While we have heard rumors of this move becoming a reality over the past few days on Sunday morning the Colorado Avalanche officially announced that they had signed defenseman Cale Makar to a standard 3 year entry level contract in the National Hockey League, and one that makes him eligible to play effective immediately. This is of course huge news for the Avalanche who managed to tie up their first round series against the Flames and 1 - 1 last night, although it remains to be seen how quickly the Avalanche can implement Makar into their system there is almost no question that he would be a huge addition to their line up moving forward.

Although Makar will not be a household name for fans of the National Hockey League he is coming off an explosive season in college hockey and would even go on to win the Hobey Baker award as college hockey's most valuable player. Makar appeared in 41 games this season for UMass-Amherst and recorded 16 goals and 33 assists for a staggering 49 points from the blue line over that stretch. He finished the season with an equally impressive plus minus rating of +32 and added 31 penalty minutes to his totals as well. Makar was the Avalanche's first round pick( fourth overall) in the 2017 National Hockey League Entry Draft and there has been a great deal of hype regarding the possibility of him joining the Avalanche throughout this season.

The team has released the following stattement:

"Cale obviously had a tremendous season, winning the Hobey Baker and getting his team to the Frozen Four," said Avalanche Executive Vice President/General Manager Joe Sakic in the official statement released by the Avalanche.  "He is a game-changing type of player who made a lasting impact on the UMass hockey program. We are excited to have him join our team."

If Makar plays in even a single playoff game the Avalanche will be forced to protect him in the upcoming expansion draft for the Seattle franchise, however I suspect that the Avalanche will insert him into the playoffs in spite of that.

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