The Colorado Avalanche are adding another key figure to their front office, this time plucking an employee straight off the payroll of the NHL.

Andrew Wilson, who has spent the last 18 years working for the NHL, is now an assistant GM for the Avalanche. He joins an upper management group that includes Kevin McDonald,  Chris MacFarland, and Joe Sakic. For the last three seasons, Wilson has been Vice President of the Central Registry. That means he handled trade calls and contract affairs from teams around the league. In addition to that, he was one of primary contacts for the 32 NHL teams regarding CBA and salary cap compliance.

Wilson will work closely with Chris MacFarland on all hockey-related matters, including cap management, contract negotiations, and CBA matters. The Avalanche will likely be up against the cap for a few years, so having an expert on their side doesn’t hurt.

Colorado has had to make a few changes to their staff this summer, as Nick Pryor was named the new Director of Amateur Scouting earlier this off-season. This appears to just be an addition to the staff, as far as we know.

Stay tuned to CHN for more news as the summer progresses. Training camp is expected to open in just over a month.