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The Colorado Avalanche have begun preparing for the future. They have extended the contract for Josh Manson by two years. He was scheduled to be a free agent next summer, but now will be with the team through 2027-28.
The Avs have had a solid summer so far. They opened their summer by re-signing pending free agent Brock Nelson to a $22.5 million deal. They also brought in another defender, signing Brent Burns to a contract. With these signings, the Avalanche also needed to clear some cap space. They started to do that with the trade of Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood to the Columbus Blue Jackets. This placed them with $7.3 million in cap space left. There was a possibility that Manson would be the next trade to clear cap space. Further, there was the expectation that the Avalanche would start working on an extension for Martin Necas or Jack Drury. Still, they chose to get a deal done with their veteran blue liner.
Manson was the 160th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft by the Anaheim Ducks. He would go on to play college hockey at Northeastern before signing his two-year entry-level deal with the Ducks in the spring of 2014. He would make his NHL debut the next season with the Ducks, playing 28 games with three assists. The American-born defender would become a mainstay for the Ducks over the next four years, missing just 21 games over the next four years, while putting up 15 or more points.
At the 2022 trade deadline, he would be traded to the Avalanche. He would miss time in his first full year with the Avs, but in the 2023-24 campaign would be great. He played in 76 games, scoring eight goals with 17 assists. Still, he is coming off a down year, playing just 48 games, with a goal and 14 assists.
The Avalanche retain defensive stability at a discount
When the blue liner has been in the line-up, he has been a top-four defender. The Avs have one of the best first defensive rotations in the NHL, if not the best. It boasts the combination of Devon Toews and Cale Makar. Samuel Girard sits on the second rotation, paired with Manson. He is a strong physical presence on the ice and was one of the best defenders on the team in their playoff series with the Stars.
Still, there is some concern about this deal. The American has missed significant time in recent years. He has not played a full season since 2016-17. Further, in the last three seasons, he has played in just 151 of 246 games. That is just 61.3 percent of the games. Also, over half of his games played came in 2023-24. When he is on the ice, he is solid, but staying on the ice has been a recent issue. This may be a reason for the discounted rate the Avalanche got for their defender.
This deal also gives flexibility to the Avalanche. They have six defenders under NHL contract now, and Keaton Middleton in the AHL, but played 41 games with the NHL club last season. Colorado could keep him developing in the AHL this year, and if Manson goes down, pull him back up. They could also shop Girard, and if the right deal comes around, move him and pull up Middleton.
Final thoughts and grade on the Josh Manson contract
Colorado gets a solid deal here. They save $550,000 from what their defender is currently making, while creating stability. They have their top four defenders under contract for the next two seasons now. Further, they get a better idea of their cap situation for next summer. Sam Malinski, Burn, Necas, Drury, and Scott Wedgewood are the pending free agents for the next offseason. While Burns is unlikely to be re-signed, they will have cap space to bring the rest back. They did have to give a modified no-trade clause in the second year of the contract to Manson. He currently has one for this year, but he will not next year. This means if the deal goes south, they could trade him next summer or during the season. It gives the Avs an out if their defender cannot perform up to standard.
For Manson, he gets to stay in Colorado and chase another Stanley Cup. While he has dealt with injuries in recent seasons, he is still getting a solid deal. He took a small pay cut, but will still make $3.95 million for two years, in addition to the $4.5 million this upcoming season. He no longer needs to worry about his future, as it is now secured for three years. Further, he gets a modified no-trade clause that takes effect in the second season of the deal. If Manson is worried about his future health, this was a great move. He is also betting on himself. He will be 36 when this deal ends, but following a hopefully solid three years, he could get one final payday before hanging up the skates.
Colorado Avalanche Grade: B+
Josh Manson Grade: B
