The Colorado Avalanche have been one of the least busy teams in NHL Free Agency, but they've made one significant move: re-signing key depth forward Parker Kelly, the team announced on Tuesday.

Kelly, who has anchored one of the better fourth lines in hockey over the last few seasons, gets a four-year contract extension that will keep him in Denver through the 2029-30 campaign. The contract will pay the 26-year-old a $1.7 million AAV, and will take effect during the 2026-27 campaign.

Kelly will continue to make $825,000 during the 2025-26 season.

The Camrose, Alberta native played a career-high 80 games for the Avalanche last year, registering eight goals and a career-best 19 points in that span. He also led Colorado with 161 hits and was fifth in blocked shots with 72.

He added an assist in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games as the Avalanche were defeated by the Dallas Stars for the second straight year.

The 6-foot-1 forward has suited up for 257 regular-season games between the Avalanche and Ottawa Senators. He joined the Sens as an undrafted player before signing a two-year contract with Colorado on July 1, 2024.

Kelly will see his linemates change next year, as Miles Wood was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets late in June. And Wood isn't the only player leaving Denver this offseason.

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Avalanche lose Ryan Lindgren, Jonathan Drouin in free agency

Along with the departures of Wood and Charlie Coyle on the trade market, both forward Jonathan Drouin and defenseman Ryan Lindgren left the team in free agency on Tuesday.

Lindgren is headed to the Seattle Kraken, where he signed a four-year deal worth $18 million. He was acquired from the New York Rangers ahead of the trade deadline last year.

Meanwhile, Drouin — who signed two separate one-year contracts with the Avalanche — is headed to Long Island after signing a two-year deal with the New York Islanders on Tuesday. Drouin will be hard to replace; he scored 56 points in 79 games in 2023-24 and followed it up with 37 points in 43 games last year.

Getting Kelly locked up is a nice piece of business for general manager Chris MacFarland and the front office, but the Avalanche probably have another move or two up their sleeves this offseason. The team currently has just under $8 million in cap space to work with.

Every free agent transaction is being followed and analyzed in ClutchPoints' NHL Free Agency tracker.

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