Avalanche Re-Sign Goalie Budaj - An ArmchairGM Exclusive

The Colorado Avalanche have finished their most active day of signings this off-season by reportadly re-signing back-up goalie Peter Budaj.

An ArmchairGM exclusive, the news has not been officially released by either the team or the NHL, however, the Avalanche have submitted the papers to the NHLPA, which show that Budaj is set to make $600,000 for the next season.

Budaj played 34 games for the Avalanche during the 2005-06 season, compiling a 14-10-6 record. He was one of the three goalies used in the three-man rotating system the Avalanche used in the middle of the season to compensate for former goalie David Aebischer's below expectation play. Vitaly Kolesnik, the other goalie in the three man system, has reportedly signed with a team in Russia for next season, leaving Budaj as the #2 goalie behind Jose Theodore.

Earlier in the day, the Avalanche re-signed their top remaining defenseman from last season, John-Michael Liles, as well as forward Jeff Finger, and free-agent forwards Mark Rycroft, Matt Murley, and Ben Guite.

Date

Wed 07/12/06, 8:42 pm EST

Alex HolowczakHall of Famer

1235 days ago

Score 1

But Svatos remains unsigned?

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Madproof9Red-Shirting

1235 days ago

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Yeah, I really can't figure out what the Avs are up to. Liles was a great signing, but the other 5? I just don't know.

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The Widening GeierSoccer Kid

1235 days ago

Score 0

Avs are doing a good job staying relevant in a rough-and-tumble West.

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Madproof9Red-Shirting

1235 days ago

Score 0

I'm going to have to disagree. The Avs were once one of the premiere teams in the West. 8 straight division titles, 8 straight first-round playoff victories, 2 Stanley Cups in 6 years, and another two trips to the Western Conference Finals in that time-span. That was only 3 years ago. Players like Paul Kariya and Teemu Selenne took massive ($6 million) paycuts to come to Coloroado. Now the Avs can't even keep a vetern player who has been in Colorado for 5 years, and says he wants to stay in Colorado. It is a rough-and-tumble conference now, but I think the history of the Avs should have given them the pull to do alot better in the offseason.

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