The Colorado Avalanche Should Retain Paul Stastny Even If His Contract Isn’t Resolved At The Trade Deadline
By Andrew Dill
November 12, 2013; Raleigh, NC, USA; Colorado Avalanche forward Paul Stastny (26) is congratulated by teammates after his 2nd period goal against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
The Colorado Avalanche set a franchise record after their win against the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday night, becoming the fastest team in franchise history to reach 40 wins in 62 games. The last team to do so was the 2000-01′ club which reached the feat in 63 games. Paul Stastny has been a key contributor to get the Avalanche to this point, along with teammates Matt Duchene, Ryan O’Reilly, Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, and Semyon Varlamov.
Stastny is slated to be an unrestricted free-agent following the 2013-14′ season which constantly brings his name up in trade speculation. The Avalanche’s front-office has been quiet about the matter but they shouldn’t even think about moving him at the deadline. He is on the end of five-year deal worth $6.6 million per year.
Stastny is currently third on the roster with 20 goals as he scored an empty-netter in the win over the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday night. Stastny came out after a morning skate prior to the game and answered some media questions via Terry Frei of The Denver Post and said he would be willing to take a hometown discount with the Colorado Avalanche, which is a good sign.
"Stastny did add that he “absolutely” would be willing to grant the Avalanche a discount. The trick there is how that’s defined, especially since it’s generally conceded that while he has played well as a two-way center doing a lot of the intangibles and is a major contributor to this team, his $6.6 million salary the past five seasons raised eyebrows."
Most people would jump to the conclusion that Stastny is overpaid as is earning $6.6 million a year. If he would settle for something around the $5-million a year mark, it would be a steal for the Avs. Paul knows what he has in the Colorado Avalanche – a young, talented team that will compete year after year under head coach Patrick Roy. If he decided to take the money rather than settling for a million less a year, it would be a bad move on his part but if that’s what makes him happy then so be it.