Avalanche sign TJ Tynan, Jack Ahcan to one-year deals
The Colorado Avalanche signed center T.J. Tynan and defenseman Jack Ahcan to one-year contracts on Tuesday, securing the short-term future of the two on the opening day of NHL Free Agency.
Tynan, 33, continues his second stint with the Avalanche, having rejoined the team in the 2023-24 season, after previously playing 16 games with them in 2019-20.
In total, Tynan has 30 NHL games to his name, having played for the Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, and LA Kings organizations. He has scored two assists in the NHL while primarily skating for their respective AHL squads.
In 2024-25, he scored eight goals and 49 points in 52 games with the AHL Colorado Eagles, leading the team in assists, before adding another two helpers in the Calder Cup Playoffs. He also skated in nine games with the Avalanche, scoring his second NHL point in November against the Nashville Predators.
Initially selected by the Blue Jackets in the third round, 66th overall in the 2011 NHL Draft, the Orland Park, Ill. native won the AHL’s MVP award in 2020-21 and 2021-22, and was the fifth player in AHL history to win it in back-to-back campaigns.
Internationally, he also represented the United States at the 2022 and 2023 IIHF World Championships, as well as the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Achan, 28, meanwhile, comes off a five-goal and 41-point season with the Eagles, a tally that ranked him first on the team in assists by a defenseman, and earned him a late-season callup to the NHL Avalanche, his first NHL games since 2021-22.
Previously, Achan played with the Boston Bruins and has one NHL goal in 10 regular-season games, highlighting his resume beyond the 23 goals and 148 points from his 272 AHL regular-season contests.
A native of Savage, Minnesota, Ahcan joined the Bruins after four seasons of NCAA hockey with St. Cloud State, jumping up into NHL games after playing two games with the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen.
While the Colorado Eagles made the third round of the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs, they will hope to take further steps next season, while the Avalanche continue to retool at the NHL level and look to improve on their 2024-25 third-place finish in the Central Division.