4. John-Michael Liles
Team: Boston Bruins Age: 35 Status: UFA
2015-2016 stats: GP: 81 G: 6 A: 15 P: 21 +/-: -10 PIM: 18
Avalanche GM Joe Sakic has said he doesn’t want to add older players on long-term contracts, but Liles could make sense on a short-term deal. The Avs could use a puck-mover on the left side, and he could be a good mentor to younger players like Bigras and Zadorov.
Though not the player he once was, Liles is still a solid transitional defenseman. He can still skate decently well and has a good first pass. He would likely be comfortable in a third-pairing role with some powerplay time.
A popular player during his first stint in Colorado, the addition of Liles would likely be well accepted by a fanbase that expects more than they have been getting in the past couple of years. It also would allow the Avalanche to allocate financial resources elsewhere.
Estimated cost: $2.25-3.25 million per season.
