The Avalanche will buy out veteran defenseman Brad Stuart and not replace him or recently traded defenseman Nick Holden with marquee free-agent defensemen, general manager Joe Sakic said Monday.

Because of Stuart’s age (36), his buyout won’t provide salary cap relief, leaving $3.6 million on the books. But the Avs will save $1.2 million in cash, according to GeneralFanager.com, a website that tracks NHL player contract information and team salary cap summaries

Before trading Holden to the New York Rangers on Saturday, Sakic said the Avs won’t make a big splash when free agency begins, and he said that remains the plan after informing Stuart that he won’t be with the team next season. Colorado could still add free agent forwards or defensemen but they won’t be expensive or long-term pickups.

Sakic reiterated his plan to give increased ice time to 21-year-old defensemen Nikita Zadorov and Chris Bigras and offer 2011 first-round draft pick Duncan Siemens “every opportunity to try to make this team.” In addition, the Avs have high hopes for defenseman Eric Gelinas, who was acquired from New Jersey in March.

“What we’re doing is allowing more ice time for these guys,” Sakic said of his blue line. “We’re going to get our young guys on the ice more because these are the guys that, in a few years, are going to be our (main) guys. We’re not doing anything big (Friday). … We don’t think the guys that are going to be out there (are worth big contracts) and depth-wise we’ve got a couple kids (Sergei Boikov, Anders Lindholm) coming in ready for San Antonio this year, so we’re slowly getting those guys ready to play.”

For now, the Avs’ blue line features standout right-handed shot Erik Johnson and left-shooting Francois Beauchemin, Zadorov, Bigras, Gelinas and Siemens, plus unsigned restricted free agent Tyson Barrie, a righty. Sakic said the team might look to resign unrestricted free agent Andrew Bodnarchuck, a lefty, but will not qualify restricted free agent defenseman Brandon Gormley and not look to sign unrestricted free agent Zach Redmond.

The Avs made qualifying offers to restricted free agents Barrie, forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Mikhail Grigorenko and goalie Calvin Pickard, Sakic said. Colorado made Barrie an offer at last weekend’s draft and Sakic said he met with MacKinnon’s representatives. Sakic said the length of MacKinnon’s contract is up in the air but the 2013 No. 1 draft pick and 2014 Calder Trophy winner “isn’t going anywhere.”

Like MacKinnon, Barrie, Pickard and Grigorenko could sign short-term contracts and still be restricted free agents when the deals expire.

As for unrestricted free agents, Sakic said he has reached out to forwards Mikkel Boedker and Shawn Matthias this week when teams are allowed to negotiate heading into the signing period beginning Friday.

“We’ve had initial conversations,” Sakic said of the two potential “rental” players who were acquired for prospects and draft picks before the Feb. 29 trade deadline. “Boedker, we have to see what he’s going to get on the market, but I don’t know if we can compete with that. We’ll see how it goes. Matthias, I know they want to stay. We’d like him to stay. It’s a numbers thing. At the end of the day we’ll see what’s out there for him. But I know we’d like to have him back and he’d like to be back.”

Footnote. Colorado will not qualify restricted free-agent goalie Sami Aittokallio, giving 2013 third-round draftee Spencer Martin, 21, the starting job for San Antonio of the American Hockey League. The Avs have only three signed goalies, so Martin’s backup remains unclear.