 Selänne then declined an option in his contract that would have paid $ 6.5 million in 2003 – 04 and instead opted to sign a one-year, $ 5.8 million contract with the Colorado Avalanche, where he was joined by former Anaheim teammate Paul Kariya. The pair chose to sign with the Avalanche together in the belief it was their best chance at winning the Stanley Cup. Their hope failed to materialize, however, as Selänne endured a disastrous season in which he scored only 16 goals and 32 points — the lowest totals of his career to that date — and was ultimately relegated to Colorado's fourth line, but was also held out of the lineup as a healthy scratch during a playoff game. He struggled throughout the year with knee problems that ultimately required surgery, his third such procedure, and with the 2004 – 05 season canceled by a labour dispute, took the time off to recover.
