Colorado Avalanche Salary Cap Analysis

Navigating the salary cap is crucial for any NHL team’s success. Teams that manage player contracts well tend to thrive, while those that don’t often face struggles and changes in their front office.

This article examines the salary cap situation for each NHL team heading into the 2024-25 season, focusing on regular roster players. All figures are from PuckPedia. Let’s start with the Central Division and take a look at Colorado.

The Colorado Avalanche have a current cap hit of $85,993,750, which is under the $88M upper limit. Nikolai Kovalenko’s entry-level contract is worth $896K with potential bonuses of $57.5K. He spent most of his first season in Russia before joining North America briefly for playoffs. As a middle-six winger, his waiver exemption might be a disadvantage if Colorado needs early-season space but he should still achieve some games-played bonuses. If he meets expectations, he could get a short-term second contract around $2M.

Colorado Avalanche

Signed Through 2024-25

• Erik Brannstrom: $900K (RFA)
• Calvin de Haan: $800K (UFA)
• Jonathan Drouin: $2.5M (UFA)
• Alexandar Georgiev: $3.4M (UFA)
• Logan O’Connor: $1.05M (UFA)
• Joel Kiviranta: $775K (UFA)
• Oliver Kylington: $1.05M (UFA)
• Sam Malinski: $850K (RFA)
• Mikko Rantanen: $9.25M (UFA)
• Chris Wagner: $775K (UFA)

Rantanen stands out here as one of the top wingers in the league with over 100 points in consecutive seasons . Only five players have more points than him in the last three years; three earn at least $2M more annually than he does! Fans might think he’s due for a big raise soon.

Drouin took a cheap one-year deal last summer to rebuild value and had a career-best 56 points but still faced limited market interest, leading to another one-year deal this free agency opening day.

O’Connor had nearly 40 points last season and could triple his current AAV if he maintains that level of play this year .

Wagner and Kiviranta will compete for end-of-roster spots or may end up on two-way deals again next year depending on performance.

Kylington aims to rebuild value after taking a pay cut due to weak market interest; Brannstrom similarly settled for less after Ottawa non-tendered him but has arbitration rights which might deter Colorado from qualifying offers later on .

Georgiev has led wins two seasons straight but showed mediocre numbers recently making future contracts hard to predict—he could command anywhere between high-end backup money or starter rates depending on upcoming performance .

Signed Through 2025-26

• Justus Annunen: $837.5K (RFA)
• Parker Kelly: $825K (UFA)
• Jacob MacDonald: $775K (UFA)
  • Josh Manson: $4.5M (UFA)

Despite bouncing back last season Senators didn’t tender Kelly avoiding arbitration risk sending him early into open markets hoping grit & penalty kills improve future prospects .

Signed Through 2026–27

• Ross Colton:$4 Million Ufa
• Samuel Girard:$5 Million Ufa
• Artturi Lehkonen:$4 .5Million Ufa
• Cale Makar:$9Million Ufa

• Casey Mittelstadt:$575Million Ufa

  Mittelstadt came via trade deadline swap involving Bowen Byram surprising many given only buying extra club control year yet keeping manageable Aav rate needing offensive boost hitting next tier starting around seven million .

  Lehkonen acquisition sparked offensive levels battling injuries past seasons producing sixty-point pace strong defensive game adding couple million next contract .

  Colton pricey third center luxury currently affordable maintaining forty-point mark landing similar money next time .

  Signed Through 2027–28 Or Longer

  Gabriel Landeskog ($7 Million through twenty twenty eight-twenty nine )
  Nathan Mac Kinnon($12 .6 Million through twenty thirty-thirty-one )
  Valeri Nichushkin($6 .125 Million through twenty twenty-nine-thirty )
  Devon Toews($7 .25 Million through twenty thirty-thirty-one )
  Miles Wood($2 .5 Million through twenty twenty-eight-twenty-nine )

When Mac Kinnon finished entry-level deal six point three million long-term extension seemed risky failing rookie production second-third years turning quickly team-friendly paving way richest Aav history briefly ahead Connor Mc David surpassed Auston Matthews providing good value finishing second scoring keeping price tag fine .

Other forwards significant questions Landeskog missing past two seasons knee trouble hoping return effectiveness uncertain struggling making rough contract Ltir Nichushkin placed Player Assistance Program stellar playoff suspended minimum looming over him &Colorado .

Buyouts None Retained Salary Transactions None Still To Sign None Best Value(non-entry-level):Georgiev Worst Value:Manson Looking Ahead Upcoming Season Interesting Cap Perspective Ideal World Operating Below Cap Start Year Avoiding Needing Putting Landeskog Ltir Allowing Banking Space Meaning Clearing Less When Returning Once Happening Capped-Out Squad Matching Money Currently Nearly Seventy-One Commitments Twenty Twenty-Five-Twenty-Six Number Jumping Considerably Rantanen Signing Extension Re-Signing Replacing Georgiev Rounding Out Roster Flexibility Next Summer Either Twenty Twenty-Seven Offseason Ability Changing Up Core Players New Deals Quickly Disappearing Gm Chris Mac Farland Navigating Tight Situations Near Future .

What do you think about these moves?