2. Cody McLeod
Position: LW First signed: 2006-2007 Initial salary: $477,500
Of the players on their current roster, nobody has played for the Avalanche longer than McLeod. Undrafted, McLeod spent a year on an AHL/ECHL contract before being signed to a two-way AHL/NHL deal with the Avalanche.
It didn’t look like he would ever see the NHL ice. A decade later, he is an alternate captain for the club and its all-time leader in penalty minutes.
Sure, McLeod will probably never have a 20-goal season. If your team is counting on him to man your powerplay, you’re in big trouble. But he’s a key penalty killer and is always a physical presence.
McLeod is well respected on the ice, in the locker room and beloved throughout Colorado.
