David Zalubowski / AP

Center Joe Sakic (right), who becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, must be re-signed by Colorado if the Avalanche are to have playoff hopes next season, writes Bill Clement of MSNBC.com.

More pay than play for Jose
The biggest issue hovering over the near future of the Avalanche is their goaltending situation. Peter Budaj looks like he can be a No. 1 goalie for years to come.

Budaj, who's in his second NHL season after being taken by Colorado 63rd overall in the 2001 Entry Draft, has been a real pleasant surprise, and has done a real good job for the Avalanche. Without Budaj, Colorado would have had the curtain close on its playoff chances in February.

That's the good news for Colorado. The not-so-good news is if Budaj is No. 1, Jose Theodore and his $5.5 million salary this season and next is a way-too-highly priced backup. Paying out nearly $6 million to a No. 2 goalie lands a solid blow to the Avalanche's salary-cap situation.

The move by former general manager Pierre Lacroix to get Theodore from Montreal has proven a disaster for Colorado.

Lacroix assumed -- or at least hoped -- that Theodore was going to be able to regain the form he had when he won the Vezina Trophy and the Hart Trophy in 2002. But Theodore hasn't come close to doing that.

Given his lucrative contract, the Avalanche will not find a team to take Theodore. Colorado is stuck with him for next season.

What's happened with Theodore in Colorado is the perfect example of why some NHL owners and general managers would like some kind of specially created buyout clause for a player they consider to have made a mistake on.

Whether it is once every three years, once every five years, whatever, they want some mechanism to get out from under a bad contract, and to not have that deal count against their salary cap. The player would get what's owed him, but that amount would come off the team's payroll -- no longer counting against the cap.

A couple of key steps
The Avalanche are not a playoff team, but they are not a disaster either. They haven't fallen off the face of the NHL map.

They have a highly-respected coach in Joel Quenneville, and that's huge since free-agent players look to a team's coach right away to decide if they'd be interested in playing for that franchise. Quenneville's not only a good coach, he's a good person with solid people skills.

Colorado wishes it had the bundle of money being paid Theodore to go shopping with. But it doesn't and so with the cash Colorado does have to spend this summer, it must land at least a couple of quality defensemen to shore up its blue line.

If rearguards are brought in to strengthen the defense, Sakic re-signs, and Budaj continues to play at such a high level, Colorado can be in the thick of the fight for a playoff spot in the Western Conference next season.

Missing the playoffs this season may only be a temporary setback for Colorado, but there's no question that to make that the case the Avalanche have work to do in the offseason.

A one-year fix could get Colorado to the playoffs next season, but it will take longer than that for the Avalanche to rise to an elite level in the Western Conference -- like the level they were at when they won nine consecutive division titles and two Stanley Cups from 1995 to 2003.

The first step is to make sound signings this summer particularly defensemen, and the second step is to get out from under Theodore's contract next season.

More news

NBC Sports

Rangers must step up

  PHT Extra: Mike Halford and Jason Brough say Brad Richards needs to have a big game for the Rangers with the Devils leading the series 3-2.

Andy Marlin / Getty Images Contributor

LIVE: Devils seek Cup finals berth vs. Rangers

LIVE: Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils look to eliminate the New York Rangers in Game 6 to advance to the Stanley Cup finals against the Los Angeles Kings.

Headlines

• Label

PHT Extra: Kings will face toughest foe yet

PHT: History doesn't bode well for Kings in finals

PHT: Gretzky says these Kings better than '93 team

PHT: Yzerman shoots down Luongo trade rumors

PHT: Kesler's agent snipes at Vigneault

Highlights: Devils defeat Rangers in Game 5

Unlucky Lundqvist plays worst game of playoffs

PHT: Torts still upbeat  |  'Best game of the series'