The Avalanche have signed center player to a professional tryout, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The veteran player aims to secure a guaranteed contract during training camp for his second stint with Colorado.
Last month, Bellemare expressed to French media his desire to continue his NHL career, training with Skellefteå AIK in Sweden while waiting for an offer. Now 39, he has been a reliable bottom-six defensive forward in the NHL for a decade but faced challenges last season, losing his regular spot in the lineup.
After becoming a free agent last summer following two seasons with Tampa Bay, he signed a league-minimum one-way contract with the Kraken shortly into free agency. However, a leg injury sidelined him for over a month from late December to mid-February, and even when healthy, he was a healthy scratch for more than a quarter of the season, appearing in only 40 games. He finished the season with four goals and seven points, averaging a career-low 9:50 in ice time.
Despite these setbacks, Bellemare won 53.5% of his faceoffs and had a positive possession impact, with a 54.9 CF% and 57.4 xGF%, while starting 60.3% of his even-strength shifts in the defensive zone. His defensive game has become more strategic than physical, reflected in his career lows of 20 hits and 22 blocks last season. However, he has excelled in the faceoff circle after earlier struggles with the Flyers. Although he will turn 40 during the season, he remains a viable fourth-line center, albeit with limited offensive production in a league increasingly focused on scoring.
The Avalanche are familiar with Bellemare’s contributions; he recorded 18 goals, 15 assists, and a +8 rating over 122 games during his previous two seasons in Colorado, averaging 12:31 of ice time. If his tryout leads to a contract, he will compete for a fourth-line center position currently projected to be filled by Chris Wagner, who had limited playing time last season. Youngster Jean-Luc Foudy could also contend for the spot after 13 games with the Avs in the last two seasons, with potential roster changes depending on whether 2023 first-round pick Calum Ritchie secures a spot on the opening night roster.
With 700 NHL games under his belt, Bellemare brings significant experience to the role, potentially providing a solid upgrade in limited ice time, whether he shares the position with Foudy, Wagner, or others.
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