Avalanche acquires Colin Wilson

The Colorado Avalanche spiced up the first day of free agency by acquiring forward Colin Wilson from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2019 fourth-round pick.

Wilson, 27, scored 35 points (12 g, 23 a) in 70 games for the Preds last season. While he has not lived up to his draft pedigree (7th overall in 2008), Wilson should slide into the Avalanche top nine and be a solid, reliable contributor on a team that was in desperate need of depth. He scored a career-high 20 goals in 2014-15 and has registered 237 (95 g, 142 a)  points in 502 NHL games.

The former Boston University standout fits the mold of player the Avalanche have focused on so far this summer in that he’s still in his 20’s and is a swift-skater with good hands. He had fallen out of favor in Nashville as their more prominent prospects had passed him on the organization’s depth chart, paving the way for Nashville to find a new home for him.

For the Avalanche, he provides versatility with experience as both a center and wing, making him a de facto Mikhail Grigorenko replacement. Contract wise, Wilson is signed for two more years with an AAV of $3.9 million (exact number is 3,937,500), which was a main catalyst in Nashville looking to move him and not receive salary in exchange. Colorado, which entered the day with more than $20 million in cap space, can easily afford to take on Wilson’s reasonable salary.

On the fancy stat side of things, here’s a quick snapshot of Wilson: