The Colorado Avalanche has signed defender Devon Toews to a four-year contract extension that will hit a cap of $ 4.1 million per season.
At the beginning of the off-season, Toews was sold to the Avalanche by the New York Islanders for a draft pick for the second round in 2021 and 2022. Before the deal, he had played two seasons with the islanders, starting in 116 games with 46 points. He’s also made 30 postseason starts, giving him valuable playoff experience for a team that is pushing to win now.
How do Toews fit Colorado?
As a team full of defensive talent, the signing of Toews the Avalanche offers another young top 4 option for the next four seasons. Let me remind you that this is the same franchise that already has Cale Makar, Sam Girard, Erik Johnson, Ian Cole, Ryan Graves and Bowen Byram in their system, which gives them ridiculous depth of defense.
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By locking Toews for a relatively affordable price, the Avalanche options get an entry point into the 2020-21 season. First, this allows them to play Byram in a protected role in their third mating in case they decide he is ready to leave training camp. By not having to throw him into a top 4 role, he has the best chance of long-term success for the franchise.
Second, the Avalanches now have the option to swap out a redundant Veteran Defender while they are at their peak. A player like Cole or Graves would likely generate a lot of interest in the trading market, which is always a useful chip for a franchise company.
After signing a four-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche, Devon Toews will seek his role in a defensive corps that is already among the best in the NHL. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Given that they are now battling for a Stanley Cup, the Avalanche will likely keep as much defensive depth as possible to support their 2021 push. Injuries are common, after all, and you can never get enough depth on the blue line, especially during a long, strenuous postseason run.
Eugene Helfrick is a Tampa Bay Lightning writer originally from Tampa Bay. He wrote about Lightning for six years, covering everything from her run to the 2015 Stanley Cup Final to her tough knockout from the first round in 2019 and his redemption in the bubble in 2020, from cows to cars to with video games, hockey will always be one of his favorite pastimes.
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