The Colorado Avalanche, on paper, have a team that should contend for the Stanley Cup for the foreseeable future. Last season began with major red flags regarding goaltending and depth. By the end of the season, both were strengths once again.
Though they fell short in the playoffs, losing in the first round to the Dallas Stars, the window for contention is clearly open. With all the talk going to Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon, it’s time to look at the most-favorable deals the Avalanche have going into the 2025-26 season.
Valeri Nichushkin – 8 years, $49 million ($6.13 million AAV)
The only thing keeping this contract from being one of the very best in the entire league is Nichushkin’s health. He came into the 2024-25 season suspended after being admitted into the league’s substance abuse program. He has also never played more than 65 games for the Avalanche going back to his arrival for the 2019-20 season.
When he’s on the ice, Nichushkin is one of the very best power forwards in the game. He produces at a strong clip – 21 goals, 34 points in 43 games last season – and can play in all situations. Moreover, he gives the Avalanche a physical edge when he is on the ice.
Expecting something to change and Nichushkin to appear in all 82 games is wishful thinking. Still, he has made his contract extension a worthwhile one and gives the Avalanche an increasingly affordable top-six forward when healthy.
Devon Toews – 7 years, $50.75 million ($7.25 million AAV)
The Avalanche may be eying their next big extension with Martin Necas, but they can hang their hat on yet another tremendous value in Devon Toews. An upper-echelon defensive defenseman, Toews is quietly a big part of Makar’s success, allowing him to freely roam the ice.
Related: Avalanche Sign Brent Burns to 1-Year Deal
Signing veteran Brent Burns gives the Avalanche top four even more to brag about, but Toews will continue to fly under the radar. At 31 years old, his contract will take him until age 36, which isn’t awful for a defenseman. That should ensure he has value on his deal even until the end.
In the meantime, the Avalanche will continue to count on Toews to be a workhorse on the back end. At the price of a second-pairing defenseman, the Avalanche have a guy who can play on either of the top two pairs at a high level.
Mackenzie Blackwood – 5 years, $26.25 million ($5.25 million AAV)
It’s kind of incredible to think that the Avalanche had the worst goaltending in the league over the first two months of last season. After Alex Georgiev imploded, Avalanche management was proactive and acquired Blackwood.
The deal paid dividends immediately. Blackwood had one of his best seasons, going 22-12-3 for the Avalanche with a 2.33 goals-against average and .913 save percentage. There was even talk of him being a dark horse candidate for the Vezina Trophy at one point.
At just north of $5 million per season, the deal could prove to be one of the best in the league if Blackwood can sustain his level of play. Goaltending is very tough to predict these days, but the Avalanche seem to have set themselves up well.
Working with Limited Room
Trading Necas seems like the right move at this point, but the Avalanche need a breakout to justify that move. Their top six depth is excellent, but removing Necas would be a big blow almost no matter who came back in a potential deal.
With the salary cap rising, the Avalanche have little room to play with after inking center Brock Nelson to a new contract. With a potential Necas deal coming and Makar’s deal expiring in two seasons, much of the Avalanche’s future cap space is spoken for.
