Avalanche sign Logan O'Connor to 6-year contract

Colorado inked a deal to keep Logan O'Connor in burgundy and blue until the 2030-31 season.

The Colorado Avalanche signed forward Logan O'Connor to a six-year deal on Monday. He has spent his entire NHL career with the Avs after he joined the team as an undrafted free agent on July 23, 2018. 

In 263 regular-season games, the 28-year-old has earned 82 points (35g/47a) with six shorthanded goals and a plus-38 rating. He has notched five points in 31 postseason games and helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022. 

O'Connor is in the last year of his existing contract and his new deal will extend him through the 2030-31 season. According to puckpedia.com, he will earn $2.5 million a year for a total of $15 million. 

“He is a relentless worker and competitor who brings energy and grit to the lineup every night," GM Chris MacFarland said. "His speed and skating ability makes him a dangerous two-way player and he is one of our top penalty killers. Logan is also a great teammate and takes pride in being a part of the Denver community.”

The 6-foot right-wing missed the end of last season and the playoffs due to hip surgery. Along with tying the knot this offseason, he rehabilitated after his procedure and is ready to get the season started. 

"Started working out right away, what you can do, and slowly open that up," O'Connor said after day two of training camp. "In regard to skating, it was sort of middle of June ... started off 30, 40% just playing it safe, and obviously week-by-week, slowly ramp it up and then add ice sessions throughout the week – duration of ice sessions and volume, and then obviously more practice-like situations leading to now camp."

O'Connor had perfect attendance in the 2022-23 and put up a career-high 26 points. He led the team in shorthanded goals and tied for the most shorthanded points. 

Prior to joining the Avs, O'Connor played down the street at the University of Denver for three seasons. He was part of the 2016-17 NCAA championship team and notched 43 points (16g/27a) in 108 games. 

From an undrafted free agent to a solid franchise player, O'Connor has shown perseverance and earned his place as a respected player and teammate with Colorado. As one of the longtimers on the roster, he will try to assume a bigger leadership role this season with the departure of Andrew Cogliano in the core group.