Avalanche signs depth defenseman

He was kind of a forgotten man in the playoffs, but the Avalanche today made him a part of their near-term future.

The Avs re-signed defenseman Mark Alt to a two-year contract running through 2019-20. The 26-year-old defenseman was set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer but the Avalanche clearly liked something they saw in his seven games in Colorado and locked him down for two seasons.

Alt was claimed by the Avalanche from the waiver wire on the morning of the trade deadline as they sought to add some reinforcements to a blueline that struggled to stay healthy all season. Even with a banged-up defense, it took Alt until the final couple weeks of the season to get into the lineup when he slotted into seven of Colorado’s final eight games. He did well for himself but not well enough to get any action in the postseason despite more injuries.

Alt’s contract is a two-way deal that will pay him $700K in the first year and $750K in the second year with AHL salaries of $225K and $300K, respectively. He stays on a team that is already clogged at the blueline both in the NHL and AHL but the Avalanche didn’t seem to mind that reality in bringing him back.

Where he fits next season will be a topic of debate throughout the summer as the Avalanche continue making decisions on upcoming free agents, both restricted and unrestricted. The Avalanche still have to decide what to do with Duncan Siemens (RFA), Mark Barberio (UFA), Patrik Nemeth (RFA), Ryan Graves (RFA), Mason Geertsen (RFA), and Jesse Graham (RFA). With Alt’s signing, the club currently has 11 defensemen signed to NHL contracts.