Colorado Avalanche has completed the signing of a top class player

Colorado Avalanche has completed the signing of a top class player

Devon Toews inks a seven-year contract extension with the Colorado Avalanche.

On Friday, the Colorado Avalanche signed defenseman Devon Toews to a seven-year contract deal.

Toews’ AAV will be $7.25 million, according to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.

Last summer, the 29-year-old was ready to become one of the biggest unrestricted free agents, as he was in the final year of his $4.1 million cap hit. Toews has spent the last three seasons with the Avalanche, where he set a career high with 57 points in 66 regular-season games in 2021-22. He had another 15 points that season on his way to his first Stanley Cup championship, solidifying himself as one of the team’s most valuable players.

Toews had seven goals and 50 points with Colorado last year, putting up respectable numbers in Cale Makar’s absence. Toews has already had one assist in the team’s season opener, a 5-2 win over Los Angeles in 24:00 of ice time.

Toews has 40 goals and 185 points in 316 NHL games. In addition, he has 86 points in 130 games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers from 2016 to 2019. Toews, drafted in the fourth round in 2014, is a competent two-way defenceman with a 6-foot-1 frame. From 2013 through 2016, he played for Quinnipiac University, where he won the ECAC championship in his final year.

With a full roster, the Avalanche have little cap room right now, but Toews’ contract won’t kick in until 2024-25. The majority of the core has long-term contracts, including Nathan MacKinnon ($12.6 million through 2031), Valeri Nichushkin ($6.125 million through 2030), Cale Makar ($9 million through 2027), and Samuel Girard ($5 million through 2028). This summer’s notable UFAs include newcomers Tomas Tatar and Jonathan Drouin, as well as backup goaltenders Justus Annunen and Pavel Francouz.

The Avalanche will return to the road on Saturday evening for a game against the San Jose Sharks at 10:00 p.m. ET. They’ll next fly to Seattle on Tuesday before returning to Denver for a Nov. 1 home opener.