Avs lock up Nathan MacKinnon to long-term extension, make him the highest paid player in the NHL
After an eventful Tuesday morning in the NHL, the afternoon did not disappoint as the Colorado Avalanche announced that they have re-signed their star forward Nathan MacKinnon to an eight-year deal at $12.6M per season. MacKinnon was set to hit the free agent market at the end of the 2023 season.
With this signing, MacKinnon will become the highest-paid player in the NHL, beating out Connor McDavid by 100K when the contract kicks in next season.
MacKinnon is coming off of another great year, playing in 65 games last season and put up 88 points. He helped Colorado beat the Tampa Bay Lightning to win the Stanley Cup - the team's first cup since 2001. MacKinnon has played nine seasons in the NHL, including 638 regular season games, scoring 242 goals and 406 assists for 648 points. He is a Calder Memorial Trophy winner in 2013-14 and a Lady Bing Memorial Trophy winner in 2019-20.
The bar is set for other superstars who will be hitting the market soon after MacKinnon has signed. This can allow Leafs fans breathe a little bit, as when the time comes for Auston Matthews, he will be the highest-paid player in the league without the Leafs having to pay him $15M per season to grant him that honour.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 20 | 292 ANSWERS Avs lock up Nathan MacKinnon to long-term extension, make him the highest paid player in the NHL With MacKinnon's $12.6M AAV now officially on the books starting in 2023-24, what's the maximum the Leafs should pay Auston Matthews on his next deal? | ||
| $13M | 97 | 33.2 % |
| $13.5M | 80 | 27.4 % |
| $14M | 65 | 22.3 % |
| Over $14M | 50 | 17.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
