Bad Blood Could Be Brewing Between Ryan O'Reilly & Avs

DENVER (CBS4) - The Colorado Avalanche love center Ryan O'Reilly, but not at the salary he's due to make this season.

As an unrestricted free agent O'Reilly can command as much as $6.5 million, a bit rich as far as the Avs are concerned, so they're planning on going to arbitration.

Ryan O'Reilly (credit: Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

Letting an arbitrator determine how much he is worth could lead to some bad blood like it did 2 years ago when O'Reilly held out for a new contract.

O'Reilly's agent, Pat Morris, is looking for a long-term deal.

"Ryan would like to stay in Colorado. At the same time a long-term deal has not been worked out or is close to being worked out," Morris said. "Ryan is unrestricted in 2 years and under the model now, given that Colorado has (arbitrated) him, the short-term looks like what the future is for Ryan."

The Avs also have to strike a new contract with Paul Stastny, who is a free agent.