Colorado Avalanche sign Saige Weinstein to entry level contract

The Colorado Avalanche have signed defenseman Saige Weinstein to a three-year entry-level contract, the team announced Friday.

Weinstein went undrafted in the 2023 Draft but has become one of the first players from his draft class to secure an NHL deal despite that. The defenseman’s contract is three years and has an average annual value of $950,000.

The 6 ‘4 174-pound defenseman earned the deal due to his strong play at the Avalanche’s 2023-24 development camp, rookie camp and training camp. The physical defender suited up in one preseason game for the Avalanche and two games at the 2023 Rookie Faceoff tournament in Las Vegas.

The 18-year-old has proven to be an asset on the backend throughout the past two seasons while playing for the Spokane Chiefs in the WHL. He recorded a total of 18 points in 57 games last season, which ranked him third amongst Chiefs defensemen in scoring.

Over 122 career WHL games, Weinstein has registered 32 total points. The left-shooting defenseman also has some international experience under his belt. He represented Canada at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, winning gold with one assist in five games.

This past season in the WHL, showed the progression in Weinstein’s overall game. He continued to play very physically but made more of an effort to transition the puck up ice as compared to the 2021-22 season.

According to various scouts, Weinstein has been labeled as a hard-hitting defender with quickness to his game. His breakout skills have also uncovered a new offensive aspect to his play that recently came to light last season.

For Weinstein to continue his progression and overall development he’ll need to rely on other facets aside from just his size in the defensive zone. That would include, better positioning and using the poke check more often instead of solely taking the body when defending against opponents.