Avalanche: 3 Stanley Cup champions who won’t be back next season

Avalanche players who won’t be back: #1 – Defenseman Josh Manson

Josh Manson, a veteran of eight seasons in the NHL, is set to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career. The 30-year-old has already been said to be preparing to test the open market and is not a sure thing by any means to return to the Avs.

As previously mentioned, the Avalanche have a laundry list of players they have to explore extensions with, including the last two names on this list. Manson may not be very high up on the list and is likely not coming back to the team despite the fact that he was a solid contributor upon his acquisition from Anaheim earlier in the year.

In a season that saw him take home his first-ever Stanley Cup title, Manson appeared in a total of 67 regular-season games between the Ducks and Avalanche. He scored a total of 16 points in that time, in the form of six goals and ten assists. He has been labeled throughout his career as a physical two-way defenseman who is very tough and proves to be a tough opponent on the ice. The Avalanche brought him aboard last year to strengthen their defensive core and that move worked out for everyone, as Manson is slated to receive a hefty payday out on the open market in the coming days.