It wasn’t necessarily the deciding factor in their decision to sign with the Avalanche on Sunday as unrestricted free agents, but defensemanand forwardhad a good relationship with coachand assistantwhen they were in the American Hockey League.Calvert said during a conference call Monday that his wife was a nanny for Pratt’s children while he played for Springfield in 2012-13 when Pratt and Bednar were assistant coaches.“It was a privilege to play for him and Nolan in Springfield,” said Calvert, who signed a three-year, $8.4 million contract. “I had a chance to meet with (Bednar) when he was in Cleveland (in 2015-16) before he came to Colorado, so I got to see him once or twice a year at camp. We always had a great relationship.“My wife actually used to nanny for Pratt’s kids a little bit, so we knew them well. I think when you have a relationship that you’re happy about, it’s a natural thing to come to Colorado.”Cole, who signed a three-year, $12.75 million contract, was in Peoria in 2010-11 when Bednar was head coach. St. Louis’ first-round pick (No. 18) in 2007, Cole played three years at Notre Dame before turning pro.“I was a wide-eyed rookie trying to figure out how to transition to the pro game,” Cole said. “I had just left college after my junior season and he was great with me as far as teaching me and setting the stage for how a pro should act and how a pro should play.“There were some hard lessons certainly but looking back now none that I don’t completely agree with. I think he’s a great coach and a great human being too. It’s a relationship that I’m looking forward to furthering.”The 6-foot-1, 219-pound Cole had 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 67 games last season for Pittsburgh and Columbus. The Penguins traded him to Ottawa on Feb. 23 before he was dealt to the Blue Jackets three days later. He had seven points (two goals, five assists) in 20 games for Columbus and three assists in six playoff games.Cole, who is from Ann Arbor, Mich., spent parts of five seasons with the Blues and parts of four seasons with the Penguins, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017. He has 97 points (20 goals, 77 assists) in 405 career games with 17 points (one goal, 16 assists) in 62 playoff games.“I think with the success that Colorado had last year, I see them only getting better, only increasing as far as their chances of doing something better,” Cole said. “There’s a lot to like about the team situation, not to mention how great the city is. My wife and I have been there a couple times and we really enjoyed it.“I could give you a long list, but it would end up being a two-hour conference call.”Columbus’ fifth-round pick (No. 127) in 2008, the 5-11, 186-pound Calvert spent his first eight NHL seasons with the Blue Jackets. He had 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) in 69 games last season with four points (three goals, one assist) in six playoff games.The Brandon, Manitoba, native has 149 points (72 goals, 77 assists) in 416 games, with 10 points (six goals, four assists) in 16 playoff games.“I wanted to go somewhere where the team was solid, the team was growing,” Calvert said. “They’ve got some very good players. I think that was the first priority. I want to win, and I really can see us doing that in Colorado.“The city is beautiful. I’ve only been to it for hockey games, so we don’t get to see much of it. My wife and I traveled down last week and we got to see all the facilities and got to meet the management and coaches. I’m very happy to come there.”*****The Avalanche announced Monday they signed goalieand forwardto one-year contracts and forwardto a one-year entry-level contract.Cannata, 28, helped the AHL Colorado Eagles defend their ECHL championship with a 2.55 goals-against average and .913 save percentage in 24 playoff games. He went 21-5-2 in the regular season with a 2.22 goals-against average and league-best .931 save percentage.Kosmachuk, 24, had 42 points (15 goals, 27 assists) in 70 games with the AHL Hartford Wolf Pack.Dries, 24, had 30 points (19 goals, 11 assists) in 70 games with the AHL Texas Stars. He had 10 goals in 22 playoff games.