A couple of months ago, it seemed almost a given that Jose Theodore would be bought out of the final year of his albatross-like contract this summer. Those sentiments have changed lately, and now it seems more and more likely that Theo and his $5.5 million cap hit will be back next season.
One of the big reasons for this is the relative dearth of quality backups on the free agent market this summer. And today, one of the few quality names on the list - Patrick Lalime - re-signed with the Chicago Blackhawks. I think Lalime would have been an excellent fit for the Avs, but he is now off the market. In related news, sales of mesh Avalanche baseball caps is expected to remain strong next year.
That is some sad news, but I like Budaj. He reminds me of Roy to some degree. Hopefully we can say goddbye to Theo soon enough.