Av's bring back Budaj

Jun 4th 2010

The Denver Post

The Avalanche on Thursday announced the signings of veteran backup goaltender Peter Budaj and enforcer David Koci to one-year contracts.

Both signed for what they made last season — Budaj $1.25 million, Koci $575,000.

The 27-year-old Budaj, the one-time Avalanche No. 1 goalie, played in only 15 games, starting 11, as Craig Anderson, brought in as an unrestricted free agent from the Florida Panthers, got most of the work and Colorado coach Joe Sacco seemed to have little faith in Budaj. Four of Budaj's starts were consecutive, in early December, when Anderson was injured, and Sacco usually chose not to give Budaj one of the starts when the Avalanche played on back-to-back nights.

Despite that, Budaj was 5-5-2, and his regular-season numbers — a 2.64 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage — were nearly identical to Anderson's. He earned a shutout Dec. 7 at St. Louis, a 4-0 Avs victory.

"Peter has been a valuable goaltender for our franchise over the last five seasons," Avalanche general manager/executive vice president Greg Sherman said in a team release.

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