The Colorado Avalanche are in the midst of a pivotal offseason. Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2022, they have battled adversity while trying to remain at the top. Natural cap issues have arisen, but injuries and personal challenges have been there as well.
For a team like Colorado, the art of the deal is critical. In order to address needs throughout the lineup, management needs to lock in key components without sacrificing the rest of the team. Though there are decisions to be made about guys like Sam Girard, a few deals the Avalanche have given out will help in that regard.
The Importance of a Solid Deal
When you’re a team like the Avalanche, always on the cusp of another championship, finding a strong deal is crucial. They did so last season, getting the best year of Jonathan Drouin’s career to date. They’ll need him to replace whatever is lost by the loss of Valeri Nichushkin.
We know who the core pieces of this team are. But it will no doubt be the value additions that make a difference. Someone like Artturi Lehkonen might not make a huge difference on the score sheet but plays a role that casual fans don’t see. Besides, you can’t pay everyone an exorbitant salary.
The Colorado Avalanche’s Best Contracts
Before we get going, a caveat. Given his past production, Gabriel Landeskog could easily make this list if not for his injury. Though he is hopeful for a return, that is anything but a certainty.
Alexandar Georgiev – 3 Years, $10.20 Million ($3.40 Million AAV)
Alexandar Georgiev is entering the final year of his deal, so a decision will need to be made about his future in Denver. That said, this might be the best value on the Avalanche, and for good reason. Since being acquired by the Avalanche for a third-round pick in 2022, a fifth-round pick in 2022, and a third-round pick in 2023, Georgiev has been the undisputed No. 1 in Colorado.
In two full seasons with the Avalanche, Georgiev has been a workhorse. He has started 124 games, winning 78 of them in the process. His playoff performance may have been simply okay – .894 save percentage, 2.85 goals against average – but it’s hard to match his productivity and durability, especially at $3.4 million per year.
Given the salary cap constraints the Avalanche face, they may need to move away from Georgiev beginning with 2025-26. For now, however, he is arguably the best deal on Colorado’s books. If he can deliver a similar season, the Avalanche should be in contention for the Central Division crown and could even make a run at a fourth Stanley Cup.
Cale Makar – 6 Years, $54 Million ($9 Million AAV)
This deal felt like a bit of a steal at the time but has proven to be one of the best values in the entire league. Cale Makar is a superstar in every sense and has become arguably the best defenseman in the NHL since his arrival four seasons ago.
Consider this crazy stat: Makar is tied for 10th on the list of the highest-paid defensemen in the NHL. Darnell Nurse ($9.25 million), Seth Jones ($9.5 million), and Drew Doughty ($11 million) are among those higher than him. Only Adam Fox and possibly Charlie McAvoy can be mentioned in the same breath as Makar among peers who make more.
Despite being just 25 years old, Makar has done it all. He’s won the James Norris Trophy, Calder Memorial Trophy, and Conn Smythe Trophy. He is consistently a point-per-game defenseman and one of the most dynamic players in the world. Even better, he won’t be a free agent until 2027.
Nathan MacKinnon – 8 Years, $100.8 Million ($12.60 million AAV)
How can a guy who has the second-highest cap hit for 2024-25 be a great value? Like all deals that shoot to the top, MacKinnon’s will eventually be bumped down. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are going to get new deals in Edmonton relatively soon. Mitch Marner is going to get paid whether he’s in Toronto for the 2025-26 season or not.
As those new deals come in, MacKinnon’s $12.6 million AAV is going to look even better. Never mind the fact that he just won the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Trophy for the first time in his career. Or that he and Mikko Rantanen have the chance to become the first teammates in franchise history to record back-to-back-to-back 100-point seasons.
MacKinnon is a bargain because he’s one of the best players in the world year in and year out. He is a physically dominating player whose intensity and determination are second to none. He wants to win more than anyone and will drag whoever he needs to right along with him. He’s been a Hart Trophy nominee three other times and likely isn’t done racking up the hardware.
Challenges in the Future
The Avalanche are going to face the same issues as any other team with great high-end talent. Rantanen will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) after this season and has earned a raise on his $9.25 million salary. If Nichushkin doesn’t return, who is going to replace his goal-scoring? Will the team be able to pay Drouin if he builds on his career-high season of a year ago?
For all of those reasons and more, finding value deals is even more important for the Avalanche. Sacrifices are going to be made at some point in the future. Whether that is Girard and his $5 million salary, Josh Manson ($4.5 million), or someone else on the roster, the Avalanche are going to need to work harder to stretch their available dollars.
