The Colorado Avalanche announces Nathan McKinnon signs a new eight-year, $100.8 million contract.
EIGHT MORE FOR NATE THE GREAT!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/BzQmrdIk6w
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) September 20, 2022
His new contract carries a salary cap hit of $12.6 million. Which makes him the highest paid player in the NHL.
Nathan MacKinnon will become the NHL’s highest-paid player with an AAV of $12.6 million after signing an eight-year extension with #Avs. The deal is valid for next season.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) September 20, 2022
McKinnon’s new deal will begin in the 2023-24 season and run through the 2030-31 season. He has one more season left on his current deal, which pays him $6.3 million per season.
The extension starts next season, of course, until the 2030-31 season. He will be 36 years old when it ends.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 20, 2022
In addition to being the highest-paid player in the NHL, McKinnon will get a lot of his money up front in signing bonus money. McKinnon will earn $49 million over the first three seasons of his new deal.
Thus, more than $49 million was paid out in the first 3 years of the deal
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 20, 2022
McKinnon will receive $85.34 million of the $100 million in signing bonus money over the course of his contract.
Nathan McKinnon’s deal includes $85.34 million in signing bonuses
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 20, 2022
McKinnon deserves every penny of this deal. After beating Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers in the playoffs, he now surpasses them in salary. McKinnon, who has been underpaid for some time, sees his capital doubled when his new contract takes effect in 2023-24.
In the 2013 NHL draft, the Avalanche took the forward first overall. After winning the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie in 2014, McKinnon experienced a dip in production. However, over the last five years, Nathan McKinnon has been one of the best players in the NHL. The work he put in on the ice with Sidney Crosby paid off on the ice. As a result, McKinnon was nominated three times for the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player.
The Colorado Avalanche signed Nathan MacKinnon to an eight-year, $12.6 million AAV contract extension. McKinnon is a TOP3 forward in the NHL, he deserves that money. The player is also fun to watch. pic.twitter.com/dVmizLgkWm
— Andy and Ron (@ARHockeyStats) September 20, 2022
Nathan McKinnon, signed by COL to a $9×12.6 million contract, is one of the league’s truly elite players, an unstoppable offensive force that bulldozes into the transition zone. One of the best passes in sports. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/GaNSAuJHNq
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) September 20, 2022
Sportsnet: I’m in my ninth year and I haven’t won anything”
Nathan MacKinnon was a big reason why the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022, leading the team in scoring with 13 goals and 11 assists. He took his words to heart after the Avalanche lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. After Colorado took a 2-0 series lead, it simply went away, losing its next four games. The second round has always been an obstacle for the Avalanche.
However, after defeating the St. Louis Blues in 2022, the Avalanche went downhill.
ESPN: An expansion for MacKinnon and the Avalanche is coming
rumors spun the Avalanche while McKinnon was closing in on the expansion. Last week during the NHL/NHLPA media tour in Henderson, Nev., McKinnon told reporters that the team was close to signing him to an extension.
“We’re pretty close,” McKinnon said Thursday during the NHL/NHLPA media tour outside Las Vegas. “I would like to see it done. … It gets emotional. Sometimes it feels personal. I’d like to make it so it’s not distracting at all.”
Avalanche President/GM Chris McFarland: “We wanted to finish before the season started.”
Like McKinnon, the Avalanche didn’t want that extension to drag out the season. Training camps open this week. The team did not want to have rumors about the loss of a key player all season long.
“Nathan is obviously one of the top players in the NHL, so we wanted to do a long-term extension before the start of the season,” Avalanche general manager Chris McFarland said. “He has a rare combination of speed and power with a high level of competition, making him a generational player. We are very pleased that he will continue to be a member of this team and this community for many years to come.”
NHL News: Colorado Avalanche Sign Nathan MacKinnon To Massive Deal
