Avalanche ink MacKinnon to 7-year extension worth $44.1M

The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Nathan MacKinnon to a seven-year contract extension, the club announced Friday.

The deal carries an AAV of $6.3 million, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

"Signing Nathan to a long-term contract was a priority this offseason," Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic said. "He is going to be a key part of our team for many years to come and it was important to secure his rights going forward."

The 2013 No. 1 pick played out the final year of his entry-level contract last season, scoring 21 goals with 31 assists in 72 games, good for third on the team.

In locking up MacKinnon, the Avalanche only have two contracts left to address. Forward Mikhail Grigorenko and defenseman Tyson Barrie are both restricted free agents, and Colorado has over $7.7 million in cap space to work with, according to General Fanager.