Toews signs 7-year contract to remain with Avalanche

Devon Toews signed a seven-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche on Friday. Financial terms were not announced on the contract, which begins next season.

The 29-year-old defenseman is in the final season of a four-year contract he signed Oct. 27, 2020, and could have become an unrestricted free agent after the season.

"I couldn't be more excited to remain with the Avalanche and continue to build upon what we've accomplished so far," Toews said. "... 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."

Toews has 139 points (29 goals, 110 assists) in 200 regular-season games in his four seasons with the Avalanche, including an assist in a 5-2 win against the Los Angeles Kings in Colorado's season opener Wednesday. He had 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 20 games in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs to help the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup.

Toews had 50 points (seven goals, 43 assists) in 80 games last season, his second straight with at least 50 points (57 in 2021-22), and ranked eighth in the NHL in average ice time per game (25:06) and was sixth with a plus-39 rating.

He leads the NHL since joining Colorado prior to the 2020-21 season with a plus-122 rating; Colorado is 139-45-16 (.735) in the regular season with Toews in the lineup.

"Getting a deal done with Devon at the start of the season was a priority for us," Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said. "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."

Selected by the New York Islanders in the fourth round (No. 108) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Toews has 185 points (40 goals, 145 assists) in 316 NHL games for the Avalanche and Islanders and 45 points (10 goals, 35 assists) in 67 playoff games.