The Calgary Flames avoided all salary arbitration headaches by locking Joe Colborne up to a two-year deal on Tuesday. Sportsnet’s Roger Millions reports that it’s worth $2.55 million overall ($1.275 million per season).
Colborne, 24, was part of the trade in which the Toronto Maple Leafs traded Tomas Kaberle to the Boston Bruins in Feb. 2011. He ended up playing 16 games spread over three seasons with the Maple Leafs, but this past season - his first with Calgary - was easily his most productive in the NHL. He scored 10 goals and 28 points in 80 games with the Flames.
He’s from the Calgary area, so playing for his hometown team must be quite a thrill. Here’s a little more about the big forward from SB Nation blog Matchsticks & Gasoline:
At 6'5" and reportedly 220 lbs., Colborne is one of the biggest players on the Flames’ roster, but the 24-year-old is still learning how to use his size. It’s an asset that will come in handy assuming he continues to play on the right wing, a position the Flames are desperately lacking in, and one Colborne looked much better in when he switched.
Apparently he made some nice impressions last season:
Joe Colborne was the 1st recipient of the Good Guy Award, which is chosen by #yyc media ~ http://t.co/zGqnhusZJo pic.twitter.com/M2jyvNXmWC
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) July 22, 2014
This contract pushes the Flames over the salary cap floor, according to Cap Geek’s numbers. They still have a decision or two to make with restricted and/or unrestricted free agents, but it seems like much of their work is done this summer.