Avalanche re-sign Andrew Cogliano as they gear up for their title defense

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The Stanley Cup championship celebrations are quieting down for the Colorado Avalanche. Time to get down to the business of defending their title.

Colorado's first big move in what's sure to be a busy offseason was re-signing veteran forward Andrew Cogliano to a one-year deal Tuesday. The 35-year-old Cogliano played a gritty role in helping the Avalanche hoist their first Cup since 2001.

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Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson (42), left, hugs center Andrew Cogliano (11) after the Avalanche defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning, 2-1 to win the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla.  (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

More big decisions are looming.

All over the ice, the Avalanche are filled with unrestricted free agents. There are forwards like Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky, Valeri Nichushkin, along with defensemen such as Josh Manson and Jack Johnson, and goaltender Darcy Kuemper. There are also several restricted free agents like Artturi Lehkonen and Nicolas Aube-Kubel.

"The guys that drive the bus every night are still here and are very hungry, " Cogliano said over a Zoom call.

That would be the nucleus of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Mikko Rantanen and captain Gabriel Landeskog. Makar is the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the postseason MVP.

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"We're going to be hungry for more. We’ve got a taste of it now," said Cogliano, who plans to take the Cup back to the Toronto area when he gets his chance with it. "With the guys we have on our team who are very driven, I think they’re only going to want more of