Avalanche lose gritty forward to Wild

One of the Colorado Avalanche's top free agents is on the move.

According to Bally Sports Midwest's Andy Strickland, Yakov Trenin is signing with the Minnesota Wild. PuckPedia also reported that Trenin's new contract is expected to be a four-year deal with a $3.5 million cap hit.

Trenin, 27, was expected to land a nice payday in free agency, and now he has done just that. After making $1.7 million last season, he will make more than double that for the next four years.

Trenin appeared in 76 games this past season, split between the Nashville Predators and Avalanche, posting 12 goals, 17 points, 207 hits, and a plus-15 rating. In 10 playoff games for the Avalanche, he had a goal and a plus-1 rating.

While keeping Trenin would have been nice for the Avalanche, they simply didn't have the cap space to give him that kind of cash. He should be a significant addition to the Wild's roster, as they need more toughness and grit in their bottom six.