Salary cap constraints prevented the Bruins from re-signing Iginla. Consequently, he left the team as a free agent and signed a three-year, $16 million contract with the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche disappointed in 2014–15; by mid-February, they stood in last place in the Central Division, though Iginla himself was among the team's leading scorers. He led the team with 29 goals, however the Avalanche failed to qualify for the playoffs. On January 4, 2016, Iginla became the 19th player in NHL history to score 600 career goals. His milestone marker came in a 4–1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. On December 10, 2016, Iginla played in his 1,500th NHL game, a 10–1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. He is the 16th player to reach this milestone.