As we pass by the midway point of the 2024-25 season, here’s a look at the Colorado Avalanche’s pending unrestricted and restricted free agents and how their performances this season could influence their next contract. After analyzing the last 44 games, we will propose potential contracts. We will then revisit these evaluations after the playoffs and make a final guess before free agency opens.
In the latest episode of the podcast Agent Provocateur, hosted by SDPN, NHL agent Allan Walsh reported that the salary cap will be $97 million for the 2025-26 season. This figure has not been confirmed by the league or other insiders, but we will use that number here.
Forwards
Mikko Rantanen: Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA)
Mikko Rantanen is in the final year of his six-year $55 million contract signed on Sept. 28, 2019 (average annual value of $9.25 million.) He is the cornerstone of the Avalanche’s offense and will be nearly impossible to replace if he is not re-signed. This season, he has 25 goals and 60 points, is ranked fourth in the NHL in points, and is tied for second in goals.
His offensive impact has improved in every season since he signed his contract. Coming off back-to-back 100-point seasons, he is on pace to finish with more than 100 points again and more than 40 goals for the third-straight season.
Every game that he isn’t signed will make his next deal that much more expensive. Reports suggest that he doesn’t want to work on an extension during the season, and the rumored number he’d get on the market is around $14 million. His agent is also Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl’s, and Draisaitl signed an eight-year, $112 million contract extension a $14 million AAV on Sept. 3.
Rantanen is irreplaceable. The Avalanche drafted him 10th overall in 2015 and they simply cannot let him walk while he is in his prime.
Prediction: Eight years, $100 million ($12.5 million AAV) or seven years, $98 million ($14 million AAV)
Jonathan Drouin: UFA
It has been a rough season for Drouin, who has dealt with numerous injuries that have kept him out of the lineup, even if his production has been consistent. He has played 11 games, with three goals and seven assists for 10 points. When he signed his one-year deal with a cap hit of $2.5 million, it was a prove-it deal for someone who struggled mightily in the first half of the season but turned it around in the second half to finish with a career-high 56 points .
Right now, it’s tough to analyze what Drouin is worth. On the one hand, he is productive and an asset when healthy. On the other hand, it’s tough to hand a contract to a player who will only play around 40 games a season. In this case, the Avalanche should remember what he brings to the lineup when he is healthy, playing with Nathan MacKinnon and contributing on the power play.
Prediction: Two years, $6.5 million ($3.25 million AAV)
Jere Innala: UFA
When Jere Innala was first signed, I thought he could be a valuable addition to the bottom six, especially as a player who would complement Miles Wood, Logan O’Connor, and Ross Colton. He possesses a mix of speed, skill, and physicality. However, he has struggled to secure a consistent spot in the lineup this season. He has only played 10 games this season and has yet to record a point. In 15 games with the Colorado Eagles in the American Hockey League, he has five goals and 15 points.
Prediction: Two years, $1.55 million, two-way contract ($775,000)
Joel Kiviranta: UFA
Joel Kiviranta’s remarkable journey continues. Kiviranta got a professional tryout (PTO) that earned him a contract last November before signing a one-year, two-way contract in July. His $775,000 looks like a bargain given how well he’s playing with a career-high 10 goals and 14 points.
Kiviranta’s defensive game has been sound as usual, but his offensive game has improved. He netted his first NHL hat trick against the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 22 and already has two game-winning goals. His work on the penalty kill has also been excellent, and he should be awarded an extension for next season.
Prediction: Three years, $3.75 million ($1,25 million AAV)
Juuso Parssinen: Restricted Free Agent (RFA)
The latest addition to the team is in the final year of his entry-level contract (ELC) and will be extended. Parssinen has only played seven games, recording one goal and one assists. He has played on the second, third, and fourth lines at center and looks like a good, speedy addition . He still needs to earn the trust of the coaching staff to cement himself as the second-line center, but with Casey Mittelstadt struggling right now, he should get more reps there. There was a reason the team acquired him, and at 23, he just needs time to adjust to the team.
Prediction: Three years, $4.5 million ($1.5 million)
Defensemen
Tucker Poolman: UFA
Acquired as part of the deal that sent Erik Brannstrom to the Vancouver Canucks, Tucker Poolman has been on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) ever since. He has not played a game since the 2022-23 season, so I don’t see him being re-signed.
Prediction: Not re-signed
Oliver Kylington: Unrestricted Free Agent
Similar to Kiviranta, Oliver Kylington worked his way up from a PTO to a full-time contract. However, he hasn’t been healthy enough to show the team what he can bring. He has a goal and an assist in eight games this season. He is productive when healthy, but unfortunately, due to injuries and personal reasons, we haven’t seen that from him in a while. I don’t expect he will get another chance (at least not with the Avalanche.)
Prediction: Not re-signed
Sam Malinski: Restricted Free Agent
Sam Malinski’s second season with the team has been successful so far. Although his production isn’t at the expected level, his offensive and defensive performance, especially alongside veteran Calvin de Haan, has been impressive. With one goal and four assists for five points, Malinski isn’t expected to perform at Cale Makar’s level, but he contributes effectively as a 26-year-old with just one season of experience.
Related: What We’ve Learned About the Colorado Avalanche Past the Halfway Point
He doesn’t make too many mistakes on the defensive end and is willing to put his body on the line to block shots, ranking third on the team in that department. While there are more offensively-talented defensemen in the Avalanche prospect pool, Malinski is a quality young defender who will be useful in the coming years.
Prediction: Three years, $6 million ($2 million AAV)
Calvin de Haan: Unrestricted Free Agent
The blue liner’s veteran presence is felt in the locker room. With six assists on the season, de Haan’s production might not be at the level it was with the New York Islanders, but he continues to be a reliable defender in his zone, is willing to be physical, and blocksshots. At 33, he might be at the back end of his playing career, but the Avalanche will offer him a deal because he is reliable and has helped Malinksi grow.
Prediction: One year, $1.25 million
Goaltenders: None
When Scott Wedgewood was acquired, he still had one more year on his contract. MacKenzie Blackwood was in the final year of his contract but was quickly handed a hefty contract extension, giving the Avalanche one less things to tackle this offseason.
Multiple factors play into a contract negotiation. It’s easy to predict what a player can get due to their recent performance, but it is a dance between the agent, the player, and the organization. Most players want financial and long-term stability while organizations need to find the right number that fits under the cap and suits the player’s value. There is still half a season remaining for these numbers and the status of most of these players to change.
