The Avalanche haven't made it official yet, but it looks like Duncan Siemens has been re-signed.

Generalfanager.com is among various sites listing Siemens' new contract as a one-year, two-way deal worth $875,125 in the NHL and $70,000 in the AHL.

Siemens, 22, was a restricted free agent. A first-round pick (No. 11, nine spots behind Gabriel Landeskog) in 2011, the 6-feet-3, 200-pound defenseman's progress has been slowed by injuries in his three seasons as a pro.

Siemens has played in 46, 54 and 53 games in the AHL, not counting the three games he played with Lake Erie in 2011-12. He has two goals, 15 assists and 194 penalty minutes in 156 games. He had one goal, six assists and 90 penalty minutes in 53 games last season with San Antonio.
Siemens has played one game for the Avalanche, the season finale in 2014-15.

Here's hoping Siemens is given a legitimate chance in training camp to make the big club, and that he can stay healthy for a change.

Siemens' signing leaves two restricted free agents -- defenseman Tyson Barrie and forward Mikhail Grigorenko -- without contracts. They have filed for salary arbitration. Barrie's hearing is scheduled for July 29, Grigorenko's for July 22, though it's possible contract agreements could be reached before then.

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Here's my third and final development camp feature story, on J.T. COMPHER, which has been posted on the NHL.com site.

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The Avalanche have added a third assistant coach, former NHL defenseman Nolan Pratt, to Patrick Roy's staff. He joins Tim Army and Dave Farrish.

Pratt, 40, was Hartford's fifth-round pick (No. 115) in 1993. He played parts of 11 seasons in the NHL with Hartford/Carolina, the Avalanche, Tampa Bay and Buffalo. He had nine goals, 56 assists and 537 penalty minutes in 592 regular-season games. He had one assist and 22 penalty minutes in 38 playoff games.

Pratt spent the past five seasons as an assistant coach in the AHL, last year with Lake Erie when the Monsters won the Calder Cup as league champions. He spent the previous four seasons with Springfield.

Pratt played one season with the Avalanche, in 2000-01 when they won the Stanley Cup. He had one goal and three assists in 46 games that season but didn't play in the playoffs.

He played in 20 playoff games in 2004 for Tampa Bay when the Lightning won the Cup.



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