from Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post,

All Avalanche center Paul Stastny has riding on this game is $20 million. Or is it $30 million? And if an athlete refuses to choke on such immense pressure, doesn't he deserve to be richly rewarded?

This is Stastny's time to be a money player.

By its very definition, Game 7 of an NHL playoff series is a must win.

But nobody needs to beat the Minnesota Wild more than Stastny. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Who knows? If the Avs lose, Stastny could be wearing a Colorado sweater for the last time.

"You don't know. I don't know, either," Stastny said Tuesday. "Sometimes you think about it a little bit ..."

Here's the truth: During the final year of his contract, new Avalanche management needed to win over Stastny more than the veteran center needed to prove his worth. If not for a remarkable team turnaround, there would be little chance for Colorado to retain Stastny.

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