Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland finds “sweet spot” to keep Jonathan Drouin, raise club's ceiling amid wild start to NHL free agency

DENVER — Nathan MacKinnon might be the MVP of the 2024 offseason, too.

The Colorado Avalanche made several signings Monday on the first day of free agency. None were more important to the club’s ability to compete for the Stanley Cup in 2025 than finding a way to bring Jonathan Drouin back — and there’s no way that happens without MacKinnon.

Drouin signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract to run it back with the Avs after he had a breakout season with Colorado. His connection to MacKinnon was one of the reasons he chose Denver as his next destination a year ago.

“I think (his agent) Allan Walsh and Jonathan deserve a heck of a lot of credit,” MacFarland said. “The first thing is the player has to want to be here, and I think Jonathan has been committed to our group.

“It wasn’t easy … but we were able to find a sweet spot this morning and very happy that it is done.”

Drouin was one of the best stories in the NHL, proving that he can be a dynamic, two-way player with better defensive acumen than expected. He produced for the Avs both next to and away from MacKinnon, to the tune of 19 goals and a career-high 56 points.

Compare Drouin’s contract to those also signed Monday and ones from recent NHL seasons, and his $2.5 million cap hit is a bargain. Twice that number, if not more, would have been fair.

Even if it was one of the best team-friendly deals on a wild day in NHL history — the first that included more than $1 billion in contracts signed — keeping Drouin and staying below the $88 million ceiling could involve some salary cap gymnastics.

If everyone is healthy and available at some point this season, after Gabe Landeskog returns from injury and Valeri Nichushkin is reinstated from suspension, the Avs will have more than $88 million in contracts, barring one of the current projected regulars being removed.

That doesn’t mean the Avs will have to trade someone. The salary cap is calculated on a daily basis. Nichushkin’s contract will not count every day he is suspended, which could allow Colorado to effectively bank enough space to cover the daily overages when he returns.

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