Avalanche signs defensive forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare

DENVER, CO – In its third move of the day, the Avalanche on Monday signed veteran French forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, 34, who is defensive/faceoff specialist from the Vegas Golden Knights.

Bellemare, who joined the NHL at age 29 with the Philadelphia Flyers, was signed to a two-year deal worth $3.6 million ($1.8 million cap hit). He was an expansion-draft acquisition for Vegas, and played in 72 and 76 games in each of the Knights’ first two seasons (just 12 combined goals).

Bellemare will help replace center Carl Soderberg in faceoffs and the penalty kill. Soderberg was traded to Arizona for defenseman Kevin Connauton last week.