Colorado Avalanche's 2 Best Contracts Heading into the 2026-27 Season
Heading into the 2026-27 season, the Colorado Avalanche currently have $429,159 left in cap space. That means out of the $104 million cap ceiling, they are planning to spend $103,570,841 of it with 22 of 23 active roster spots taken, along with 43 of 50 standard contracts being signed.
That said, who has two really good contracts for the Avalanche this upcoming season? While some could look to the superstars, these two guys have some sneaky good deals, especially after having career seasons in 2025-26.
Parker Kelly
After having eight goals and 19 points in the 2024-25 season, Parker Kelly went absolutely off for the Avalanche in 2025-26. He had himself a career season, setting highs in goals (21), assists (14), points (35), plus/minus (plus-18), shots (104), and shooting percentage (20.2%).
The 27-year-old Canadian forward was rewarded with a new four-year, $6.80 million deal, with the annual average value (AAV) coming to $1.70 million per season. This was after Kelly signed a two-year, $825,000 AAV deal before the 2024-25 season. Talk about betting on yourself and coming out with a raise and security to stay in Denver for another four seasons.
Heading into the season, Kelly is projected to slot on the third line as the left-winger alongside center Nazem Kadri and winger Nicolas Roy. When it comes to the bottom six, or even the top nine, Kelly showed last season that given more ice time, he can produce.
If the Avalanche can see an upward trajectory from Kelly after his career season in 2025-26, the $1.70 million AAV deal will be seen as a steal. Kelly could potentially reach another level knowing he's not in a contract year and has the support of head coach Jared Bednar to possibly get more roles and ice time this upcoming season.
For a deal that could be a huge reward, especially with that AAV and production, Kelly could be one of those for the Avalanche.
Sam Malinski
Another player who had a career season in 2025-26 and got rewarded with a payday was defenseman Sam Malinski. After playing 82 games last season, Malinski talliedeight goals, 32 assists, and 40 points. Furthermore, he finished with a plus-43, while averaging a career-high 17:37 of ice time.
What helped him thrive last season was Bednar put a ton of faith in Malinski to eat up minutes as part of the third defensive pairing. His scoring and playmaking touch came at the right time, especially in a contract year. On January 26, Malinski signed a four-year, $19 million extension. The new deal will pay him $4.75 million annually through the 2029-30 season
The hope is that he can take another step in 2026-27 for the Avalanche after a career season last year. It'll be huge if he can carry that momentum into his new extension, especially if he can have another 40-point season. If so, that'll be a huge boost for the Avalanche.
While there are a few other good contracts on the Avalanche this upcoming season, it's hard to argue against deals like Kelly and Malinski. If both guys can produce again in 2026-27 like they did in 2025-26, these contracts will look amazing for the next four seasons.
Zach Martin is originally from Northeast Ohio, but has resided in South Carolina since 2016. He has been a credentialed hockey writer with The Hockey Writers since 2023 as the Carolina Hurricanes beat writer, where he has written player profiles, storylines, game recaps, general pieces and more. Zach had the opportunity to attend the 2026 Stanley Cup Final as credentialed media covering the Carolina Hurricanes. He's written about ESPN's Mike Monaco, along with player exclusives over the last couple of years. Zach has also covered games for the World Juniors, IIHF World Championships, and the 2026 Winter Olympics. He has also covered the Colorado Avalanche and some other NHL teams at large over his time with THW.