DENVER — Logan O’Connor is here to stay.
The Avalanche announced on Monday that O’Connor has signed a six-year contract extension. The deal, which will keep the veteran forward in Colorado through the 2030-31 season is worth a reported $2.5 million per season according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.
“He is a relentless worker and competitor who brings energy and grit to the lineup every night,” general manager Chris MacFarland said of O’Connor, who won the Stanley Cup with the Avs in 2022. “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.”
O’Connor is entering the final season of a three-year deal paying him $1.05 million per season. He signed that deal three years ago on Sunday and will play out the final year of that contract in 2024-25.
The 28-year-old is coming off a career year, albeit it ended early with a season-ending injury last March. O’Connor had 13 goals and 25 points in 57 games, which included his first career hat trick in a road game against the Philadelphia Flyers. He is fully healthy and ready to go for the 2024-25 season.
The Avs initially signed O’Connor as an undrafted free agent in the summer of 2018. He was entering his senior year at DU and was just named the Pioneers captain. O’Connor appeared in just five games for Colorado the following season but eventually worked his way into a full-time role among the bottom six.
During the Cup-winning postseason, O’Connor was stapled to veterans Darren Helm and Andrew Cogliano in what became a crucial fourth line for the Avs’ quest to the Stanley Cup.
It’s not even a question that the Avalanche seriously missed O’Connor late last season after his injury was announced. He had spent the majority of the season building chemistry on a line with newcomers Ross Colton and Miles Wood and his absence was noticeable.
Throughout camp, the trio was been reunited on most days and will likely play together quite a bit this season when the missing offensive pieces in the top six start to make their return. O’Connor is also an early candidate to get top-six minutes while awaiting the returns of Gabrie Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen.