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Avalanche re-sign Brad Stuart before his 1st game as an Avalanche

(Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports)
(Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports)

The Colorado Avalanche signed defenseman Brad Stuart to a 2-year contract extension on Monday, and rightfully so. Who among us can forget his performance for the Avalanche in … uh … when … er … that preseason game recently?

OK, it’s not unprecedented that a team signs a new acquisition before he laces’em up for them. Clearly the Avalanche like what they’ve seen from Stuart so far, after trading a second and sixth for him from the San Jose Sharks; so they inked the 15-season veteran to a 2-year, $7.2-million deal.

He’ll be a top-pairing defenseman with Erik Johnson this season, and a physical presence that blocks shots. His possession numbers aren’t stellar in comparison to his teammates, at least during his time with the Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks, but he brings much-needed experience to that blue line.

Here’s what Johnson said about him:

"He's a really steady influence," said Erik Johnson, who is playing with Stuart as the Avs' top pairing. "He won a Stanley Cup in Detroit and has been on a lot of winning teams. He's approaching mid-30s, but he really skates well out there. If you can skate in the league you're going to be around for a long time, and he can definitely move."

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Moving is great. Defending is better. Watching Stuart get turnstiled by the Los Angeles Kings last postseason doesn’t inspire much confidence that he’s worth either top-pairing minutes or a $3.6 million AAV, but maybe they see something in that Johnson/Stuart pairing what warrants it.

Granted, that’s something you might want to test in the regular season before signing him to an extension, but hey, Joe Sakic got in early on the Brad Stuart sweepstakes.

The Avs also re-signed forward Cody McLeod to a 3-year deal.