Denver, CO (My Sportsbook) - The Colorado Avalanche signed free agent center Vincent Damphousse to a one-year contract Wednesday. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

A veteran of 18 NHL seasons, Damphousse spent the last 5 1/2 seasons with the San Jose Sharks, where he is the all-time leader in postseason scoring with 35 points.

The 36-year-old Damphousse adds even more depth to an already-potent front line that includes captain Joe Sakic, Milan Hejduk and Alex Tanguay.

Superstar Peter Forsberg is uncertain if he will return to the league or stay in his native Sweden for the coming season, while the status of forwards Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne, key signings last offseason, is up in the air.

"Vincent Damphousse provides us with quality forward depth," said Avalanche GM Pierre Lacroix. "His versatility and experience will definitely contribute to the future success of our club."

Damphousse is a four-time NHL All-Star selection and has amassed 432 goals and 773 assists for 1,205 points in 1,378 career games. He also has proven to be very durable despite playing 18 seasons in the league, having closed out his stint in San Jose with 247 consecutive games played.

"I'm excited and extremely enthusiastic about joining the Avalanche, a club that has already established a winning tradition in Denver," said Damphousse. "I'm looking forward to playing in such a great hockey environment."