The Avalanche signed 2019 third-round draft pick Matt Stienburg to a two-year entry-level contract through the 2024-25 season Friday, the team announced.
The Avs lost the exclusive negotiating rights to Stienburg on Wednesday after the deadline passed for teams to sign college players on their reserve lists. Stienburg, who spent four years at Cornell, became an unrestricted free agent but remained in talks with the Avalanche.
Colorado drafted the forward from Halifax, Nova Scotia, at No. 63 overall in 2019. He compiled 46 points (20 goals) in 73 games across three seasons at Cornell. His sophomore season (2020-21) was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He was injured for a large portion of his senior year, but the Big Red knocked off the University of Denver’s defending national champions in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. After the season, Stienburg joined the AHL Colorado Eagles for four regular-season games and four Calder Cup playoff games.
Stienburg was college teammates with defenseman Sam Malinski, who signed with the Avalanche this year out of school and immediately became one of the organization’s most promising prospects.
