Nathan MacKinnon isn’t going anywhere. The Colorado Avalanche superstar has signed an eight-year extension to stay in Denver through the 2030-31 season. The deal will pay MacKinnon an average of $12.6MM per season, meaning he will be the highest-paid player in the league, just eclipsing Connor McDavid’s $12.5MM AAV.
The deal, which kicks in for the 2023-24 season, will double his current cap hit of $6.3MM, a deal that has become one of the greatest bargains in the entire league. MacKinnon signed the seven-year deal in 2016 when he was still putting up an average of just 50 points per season. Things have certainly changed since then, with three appearances as a Hart Trophy finalist and a Stanley Cup this past spring.
There are few players in the league that can impact a game as much as the 27-year-old center. MacKinnon’s incredibly powerful skating stride can separate him from defenders in an instant, his offensive instincts are among the best in the world, and his shot creation results in plenty of opportunities for himself and his linemates. Since 2017-18, his first true superstar campaign, his 442 points trail only McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, while his points-per-game are behind only McDavid and Nikita Kucherov.
Incredibly, if MacKinnon didn’t already have nine seasons of NHL action under his belt, he wouldn’t have even reached unrestricted free agency this summer, having only turned 27 at the start of September. That means the extension will span his age 28-35 seasons, and that the Avalanche won’t be on the hook for a big number as he enters his late-thirties. While it remains a huge number to carry, it is likely still a bargain for the next couple of seasons while MacKinnon remains an elite player. If the salary cap takes a big jump, it could remain one for the majority of the extension.
There is no short-changing MacKinnon here though. The superstar will receive $85.34MM of the $100.8MM deal in the form of signing bonuses, and a full no-movement clause will kick in right away and last throughout the entire extension. CapFriendly gives the full details:
- 2023-24: $775K salary + $15.725MM signing bonus
- 2024-25: $775K salary + $15.725MM signing bonus
- 2025-26: $800K salary + $15.25MM signing bonus
- 2026-27: $9.15MM salary + $3.0MM signing bonus
- 2027-28: $990K salary + $8.91MM signing bonus
- 2028-29: $990K salary + $8.91MM signing bonus
- 2029-30: $990K salary + $8.91MM signing bonus
- 2030-31: $990K salary + $8.91MM signing bonus
It’s a massive commitment from the Avalanche, though one that is very much deserved. Not only is MacKinnon one of the best players in the league but he also has been through the worst the franchise has to offer, when Colorado was putting up historically-bad results. In 2016-17 the team won just 22 games, finishing dead last and more than 20 points behind the next worst. They would go on to lose the draft lottery as well, though that ended up inn their favor, as the fourth-overall pick was Cale Makar.
While the Conn Smythe this year went to Makar it could have easily been MacKinnon to take home the playoff MVP, after leading the postseason with 13 goals in 20 games. For his career, he has performed at an incredibly high level when the games matter most, scoring 41 goals and 93 points in 70 career playoff games.
With this deal, along with extensions already worked out for Makar, Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, and Artturi Lehkonen, the team’s competitive window remains wide open for the foreseeable future. It also likely leaves some money on the table, which will help out when Devon Toews and Mikko Rantanen need extensions down the road (2024 and 2025 respectively).
MacKinnon may end up playing his entire career with Colorado, given how long this new deal extends. His potential free agency is now something Avalanche fans won’t have to think about for a very long time.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Bro ain’t worth more than McDavid
No, but it’s always a reflection of the salary cap.
I think GMs know what the cap will be going up to shortly (hence all these massive long deals).
McDavid is worth 13+
but when he signed 13million would have crippled the team.
Agree, Mackinnon is awesome BUT Mcdavid is a step above everyone.
It’s not about that. It’s like what Pawtucket alluded to. It’s just a factor of when the player signed the deal. If Mcdavid signed after Mackinnon, he’d probably get $14m a year.
Per capfriendly, McDavid’s deal was worth 16.7% of the team’s salary cap at the time of signing. In 2022-23-money this would have been $13,777,500.
Bro got what the market paid.
Wow. Didn’t think it would be that high
Well deserved
Thought it was going to be a bit lower, but not horribly surprised and it’s well deserved. It’ll be a bargain again in 4 years when the highest is around $15M and he’s still in his prime at 31.
That’s Yusei Kikuchi money!
underrated comment lmao
can someone dumb down the cap implications on this? what is the difference/significance of the low salary big signing bonus on this deal.
Almost nothing in this case.
His cap hit will still be $12.6MM regardless, he just gets some financial benefits like lump sum payments, taxed in a single location, and some buyout protection. None of that really matters for the Avalanche, unless MacKinnon goes way downhill, fast.
You’ll notice the one year that is a bit different – that’s to protect the team in case of a lockout year when the CBA is currently set to expire. They would only need to pay him the signing bonus.
appreciate that. makes a lot of sense.
(nods to Gavin) Yeah, that’s the problem with max term/max salary deals that load up on bonuses with relatively modest actual salaries: they tend to be buyout proof.
Colorado is, therefore, betting big on MacKinnon being a preeminent superstar late into his 30s.
Which is a bet you have to make. Guys like him don’t just show up on your roster every day. When you have a superstar, you pay him. Colorado can find cheaper versions of Compher, Sturm, etc anywhere.
Plus, if you move Girard and then watch Johnson’s 6MM come of the books next year, you can fill out your lineup just fine.
Buckled CO future
Avs will have maybe $14M to sign 9-10 players next summer. Newhook and Byram will be RFA’s.
10 payers for 14 million? You serious?
@ redfeather: according to Puckpedia, 9 NHL contract spots open in 2023, $12 MM in current cap space to be available to sign them. Hell, if Byram stays healthy and keeps on playing as outstanding as he did in the playoffs, it’ll take half that alone to sign him, and if the Avalanche offers him that little, I can see some other team giving him an offer sheet for that price.
So…because McDavid scores more in February or makes prettier plays, he’s worth more than McKinnon…?
Is that the consensus? Is that the criteria?
I think Mcdavid is better but Mackinnons team is better. Trade them straight up last year for Edmonton and Colorado and I don’t think the outcome for each team is different.
Plus Mcdavid scored more than MacKinnon in the playoffs anyways despite playing less games.
Both are worth as much then get. One difference unless oilers win get close or Mcdavid marries a women from edmonton. I think he will not stay in edmonton. the only oilers players who stay and live there are lowe, mctavish who marry women from edmonton and want to live there.
Last week it sounded like he was giving them a deal sort of. I expected 10.5 or 11. Worth more then mcdavid or not as years go by cap goes up highest salary goes up. Whats crazy is no nhl player has made over 150 mil over his career while mlb player regularly get 150 mil contracts over 5-7 years. Sid the kid has 146 life time and then jagr at 135
Once again, we should reserve judgement until wilf rewards us with his infinite wisdom.
Hope Wilf is on vacation and forgot his computer or stuck in baggage claim.
Says the guy who comments « plan the parade » at every post thinking he’s funny
Holy mother of AAV!
I thought he’d leave some money on the table to help keep the pieces around him, but after Kadri signed elsewhere I’m guessing he took what was being offered. He deserves it, and in no time that deal will be eclipsed by lesser players than he or McDavid so I can’t fault him.