Nathan MacKinnon’s long-term future in Colorado is already being kicked around in the rumor mill, and one NHL reporter has thrown a bold landing spot into the mix: Montreal.
MacKinnon is signed to an eight-year, $100.8 million contract and won’t hit unrestricted free agency until the summer of 2031, but that didn’t stop Jimmy Murphy from floating the idea of a post-Avalanche move during an appearance on The Sick Podcast. Murphy said he believes Colorado may eventually need a major shift in both roster and culture, and he pointed to the Canadiens as the team best positioned to make a run at the star if he ever becomes available.
“I look at that Colorado Avalanche roster in the last four seasons since then, and I say they should have won another,” Murphy said. “They should have made another Stanley Cup final.”
He then made his case for Montreal.
“I think the Montreal Canadiens are the most poised to acquire him. They have all the things that Colorado could use - they’ve got future and present assets that could really help this team go win in the now and win in the future,” said Murphy.
While MacKinnon speculation is the headliner, another major Colorado contract situation is also looming. Cale Makar is heading into the final season of his six-year, $54 million deal, which carries a $9 million AAV, and he became eligible to sign an extension on July 1. The club has made it clear that keeping him long term is a priority this summer.
“Cale is going to finish his career here," Sakic said via NHL. "We're already talking to his agent, so we're confident that something's going to get worked out at some point. I mean, he's got another year, but this summer we expect to have him signed.
He added:
"The core guys are still here, so we're going to shoot and try and win another Cup next year. Everybody was disappointed.
I won't say anger was the thing, but to a man, they want to bring this back. They want to bring the group back, and they want to try and do it again."
Makar’s next contract is expected to bring a huge jump, with reports suggesting it could land in the $20 million AAV range. If that happens, he would become the NHL’s highest-paid player.
For now, that title belongs to Cale Makar of the San Jose Sharks, who signed a five-year, $94 million extension.
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Oliver Kapanen, Alex Newhook and Jayden Struble look positioned to be part of the conversation going forward, but the list of possible departures is where the real pressure starts to build. Samuel Montembeault, Kirby Dach, Josh Anderson, Phillip Danault and Alexandre Carrier could all be moving into what amounts to a final year in Montreal, and with contract decisions and trade possibilities both hanging over the group, the Canadiens may end up reshaping more than just the bottom of the roster before next season arrives. [Read more 🡒]