Avs lock up defenseman Toews with 7-year deal

One of the major concerns facing the Colorado Avalanche this season was answered within a matter of days with the team announcing Friday that it had re-signed defenseman Devon Toews to a seven-year contract.

Finding a new deal for Toews, who will earn $7.25 million annually starting next season, was one of the key items facing the Avalanche with the 29-year-old entering the final year of his contract.

Re-signing Toews accomplishes a number of tasks. Among the most notable is that the extension ensures the Avalanche will keep their top defensive pairing of Toews and 2022 Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar together for at least three more seasons.

“Getting a deal done with Devon at the start of the season was a priority for us,” Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said in a statement. “He has emerged as one of the best defensemen in the NHL and is a huge part of the core of this team.”

This iteration of the Avalanche has seen a number of players come to the club and have some of the strongest years of their careers. That includes Toews, who was traded to Colorado in 2020 for a pair of second-round picks in a deal that helped alleviate a salary cap crunch for the New York Islanders.

He averaged 0.40 points per game in his two seasons with New York before getting traded to Colorado, where he has averaged 0.70 points in 200 games. Toews’ offensive production has been matched by his defensive output, which has led to his being used in practically every situation from 5-on-5 play to the penalty kill to the power play.

Toews has finished in the top 15 of Norris Trophy voting in each of his first three seasons with the Avalanche.

Toews’ ability to log heavy minutes in different situations is one reason his partnership with Makar has led to the two being in the discussion as perhaps strongest defensive pairing in the NHL.

“I couldn’t be more excited to remain with the Avalanche and continue to build upon what we’ve accomplished so far,” Toews said in a statement. “I’d like to thank the Kroenke family, Joe Sakic, Chris MacFarland and the coaching staff for their trust and belief in me.”

Finding new ground on a contract means Toews joins a group of nine Avalanche players, led by Nathan MacKinnon and Makar, who have more than three years left on their deals. Four fellow defensemen, including Samuel Girard and Josh Manson, are also members of that group.

Although the Avalanche have a number of players under long-term contract, they will have other financial considerations in the coming months. The team will have more than $2.6 million available in cap space ahead of an offseason with seven players slated to be unrestricted free agents and another three who could be restricted free agents, CapFriendly projects.