Avalanche have signed veteran defenseman Fedor Tyutin. The 32-year-old Russian is a solid left-handed defenseman who will bring a significant upgrade to the Avs’ shot suppression efforts. While not a big point guy, he’s a great defender in his own zone. Tyutin is also a solid character guy with strong leadership skills, a quality the Avalanche covet. A good Colorado comparison would be Jan Hejda when he first joined the team.

Tyutin was drafted 40th overall in 2001 by the New York Rangers. He joined the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2008 and played the next eight seasons with the team. On June 29, 2016, Columbus bought out the remaining two years of Tyutin’s contract in order to clear cap space. In 803 games, Tyutin has scored 54 goals and 197 assists.

The deal is worth $2 million and is for one year.