Devon Toews takes hometown discount, signs extension with Avs

The Colorado Avalanche will have arguably the best defensive paring in hockey for years to come as the jelly to Cale Makar’s peanut butter—Devon Toews signed a seven-year contract extension on Friday.

The deal will earn Toews $49 million over seven year or $7.25 million per season. With Makar’s $9 million a season cap on the five-year extension he signed in 2021, keeping him an Av through 2026-27, the teams’ brass has found a way to give one of the best players in the world and his top-tier partner just $16.25 million per season. When Toews contract kicks in next year, he’ll be the 29th highest-paid defenseman in the league, and he’s certainly better than that. Plus, the deal will only look better in time as salaries inflate.

Colorado traded for Toews from the New York Islanders in the fall of 2020 in exchange for a second-round selection in the 2021 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Since joining the Avs, the 29-year-0ld is a league-best +122 almost lapping the next closest player Matthew Tkachuk, +92.

“I couldn’t be more excited to remain with the Avalanche and continue to build upon what we’ve accomplished so far,” said Toews in a news release. “I’d like to thank the Kroenke family, Joe Sakic, Chris MacFarland and the coaching staff for their trust and belief in me. Denver has become home to my family and we love being a part of this community. I’m excited to get this deal done and focus on our goal of bringing the Stanley Cup back to Colorado.”

In three seasons with the Avs, Toews has recorded 139 points in 200 games and added 30 points in 37 playoff contests. His 169 combined points during this stretch rank sixth among NHL defensemen.

Originally from Abbotsford, B.C., Toews was a huge part of the Avs Cup run and filled many roles. He can play the gritty game next to Makar or produce points himself when split apart.

“Getting a deal done with Devon at the start of the season was a priority for us,” said MacFarland, the Avalanche’s general manager, in a news release. “He has emerged as one of the best defensemen in the NHL and is a huge part of the core of this team. He logs heavy minutes in all situations—5-on-5, power play, and penalty kill—plays against the opposition’s top lines, and is one of the top point-producing defenders in the game as well. And most importantly, he is one of our team leaders both on and off the ice. We’re thrilled to have him in an Avalanche sweater for the next eight years.”

Avalanche brass in MacFarland and Sakic should get a ton of credit for getting Toews to Colorado in the first place for pennies on the dollar and then signing him to such a team-friendly extension. It also says a lot about the organization they run that Toews wanted to stay in Denver and play for Jared Bednar some more at a discount. One thing to watch though is Colorado will have less than $3 million in cap space going into the 2024-25 season based on just 16 active contracts currently on the roster.

If you plan on being a contender, you simply can't let a defenseman like this walk for nothing.

There will always be concerns signing someone late into their 30's, but Devon Toews is a top flight defenseman in this league. pic.twitter.com/g4PzVfjq4X

— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) October 13, 2023

***