Avalanche re-sign netminder to one-year deal

The Colorado Avalanche have signed goaltender Justus Annunen to a one-year contract.

Annunen, 23, made two starts with the Avalanche last year, going 1-1-0. Annunen has a 2-1-1 record through four games with the Avalanche, filling in when injuries have arisen in the team’s crease. Annunen is coming off his best AHL season with the Colorado Eagles, going 22-10-8 with one shutout and a .916 save percentage through 41 games. Annunen was one of the black aces that were able to lift the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022.

Drafted 64th overall in 2018, Annunen was Finland’s goaltender at the 2020 World Juniors and was a shining young keeper in the top Finnish Liiga. He led the league with a .929 save percentage and 1.77 GAA in 2019-20, his first year in the league after winning the junior title the year before.

The Avalanche have Alexandar Georgiev and Pavel Francouz signed for 2023-24, with Annunen likely remaining the team’s third goalie. The club also has Trent Miner and Arvid Holm in the system to give them extra goalie depth. Colorado is $200,000 over the salary cap, with Gabriel Landeskog set to spend the season on long-term injured reserve due to a cartilage transplant in his right knee.

Colorado was knocked out by Seattle in seven games during the first round of Stanley Cup playoffs earlier this spring.