The Avalanche will not be active July 1, when NHL free agency begins, general manager Joe Sakic told The Denver Post. Related Articles Avalanche re-signs former DU star Logan O’Connor on two-year contract

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“We’re not going to be looking that day,” Sakic said. “As the summer goes on, we’ll see what good fits are. But on the July 1, don’t expect us to go after any big long-term deals. Within our own, we’re going to discuss what we have within, but outside on July 1 we’re not going to go after a big splash.”

That approach likely means the Avalanche expect big things from 21-year-old defensemen Nikita Zadorov and Chris Bigras, who both spent most of last season in the minors but offer potential in helping Colorado improve its blue line. The two 2013 draft picks are among eight defensemen under contract on the Avs roster for the 2016-17 season, along with Erik Johnson, Francois Beauchemin, Brad Stuart, Nick Holden and Eric Gelinas.

In addition, restricted free agent defenseman Tyson Barrie is expected to be re-signed and Colorado has a stable of young minor-league defensemen including the recently signed Anders Lindholm and Sergei Boikov.

Former 2011 first-round draft pick Duncan Siemens might also be in the mix. The former 11th overall draft pick doesn’t turn 23 until September. Siemens had a goal and seven points in 53 minor-league games last season after making his NHL debut in the final game of the 2014-15 season.

“We haven’t given up on him,” Sakic said of Siemens, a restricted free agent who will receive a qualifying offer to remain with the Avs. “We’ll see how training camp goes. Last year, he made strides. It’s almost like a breakout year. He was fairly healthy, and we saw a lot of strides on him.”

Avoiding the July 1 frenzy might also means the Avs prefer to make improvements through trades. They have been rumored to have interest in Winnipeg defenseman Jacob Trouba, a 22-year-old restricted free agent.

“I don’t ever comment on rumors,” Sakic said when asked about his interest in Trouba. “There’s a lot of speculation out there. All I can tell you is we’ve had conversations with different teams and we want to try to improve our crop.”

Free agency takes place after the June 24-25 NHL draft in Buffalo, N.Y., where the Avalanche intends to keep its first-round pick — No. 10.

“We think we’re going to get a good player at 10, and we’re going to go with the best player on our list,” Sakic said. “This year it’s forward-heavy.”