Colorado Avalanche Re-Sign Steve Downie to 2-Year Contract

Adrian Dater of the Denver Post is reporting that the Avalanche have come to terms on a two-year contract with Steve Downie.

Downie came over to the Avalanche from the Tampa Bay Lightning last season in exchange for Kyle Quincey and made an immediate impact. He was placed on a line with Ryan O'Reilly and Gabriel Landeskog and began producing points like an absolute machine.

That all came to a rather abrupt end towards the end of the year when he played injured during the team's run to the playoffs. That injury led him to have shoulder surgery at the end of the season.

Downie's contract is for a total of $5.3 million over the two-year span, for a cap hit of $2.65 million.

Downie was a smart addition to the team when they traded for him, and it is smart to keep him on the team now. He's able to pitch in on the offensive side of things, but most importantly, he makes the Avalanche more difficult to play against. He's a junkyard dog who likes to hit, will stand up for his teammates and grinds away in the dirty areas.

I'm not certain if Downie should be expected to keep up the pace he set from a points perspective, but he will earn his money in the way he makes life miserable for his opponents.

The lines are going to be interesting for the Avalanche this year, but I think Downie will most likely stay on a line with Ryan O'Reilly, wherever that ends up being.