Avs star Nathan Mackinnon finally talks about what he wants in new deal

It’s largely expected the Avalanche and superstar Nathan MacKinnon will agree upon a new contract this offseason.

However, a couple of reports that said Mackinnon could be the highest paid player in the NHL, or get “Connor McDavid” money, have made Avs fans nervous.

Well, don’t fret, MacKinnon doesn’t sound like a guy with outrageous demands. Speaking at an NHL Media Player Tour on Thursday, Mackinnon finally addressed his looming contract situation. He’s signed through the 2022-23 season and scheduled to make $6.3 million from Colorado in the final year of his deal. Frankly, that’s a bargain.

MacKinnon provided insight on when the extension should get done and how much he’s looking for.

Nathan MacKinnon, speaking at the NHL Player Media Tour, says his extension with the Avalanche is “pretty close” and he’s hoping it’ll get done “soon.” As for AAV, it will be “fair” but “not going to be a single digit.”

— John Matisz (@MatiszJohn) September 15, 2022

Okay. Well single-digits isn’t something any Avs fan should have expected. As I outlined in a column last month, plenty of NHL players make more than $10 million a season.

The Dallas Stars will pay Tyler Seguin a ridiculous $13 million in 2022. The New York Rangers will give Artemi Panarin $12.5 million and a slew of other players will collect $12 million from their teams, including McDavid. MacKinnon deserves to be in that category, if not above those guys. After all, none have won a championship with their current team.

So, if it’s an AAV of $10-11 million, that’s legitimate. After all, Mackinnon said he expected the deal to be “fair” for both sides. Mackinnon also told John Matisz (the reporter above) he wants to be “an Av for life,” so that’s another great sign.

For this upcoming season, Colorado only has $1.9 million in salary cap space, so whatever new deal MacKinnon signs likely won’t kick in until next year. That could be a bit of a sticking point, asking MacKinnon to play on his current salary coming off a Stanley Cup win.

Regardless, these are all positive developments. And it sounds like MacKinnon should lock up a monster extension with the Avalanche soon.

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