Avs open offseason moves with new deal for Logan O'Connor

The Avalanche announced this evening they have agreed to a new contract with Logan O’Connor, a two-year pact that will count $725K against the salary cap.

The 24-year-old O’Connor was set to be a restricted free agent following a year in which he split time between the Colorado Eagles, scoring 25 points in 40 games, and the Avalanche, where he registered two points in 16 games.

While O’Connor’s regular season in the NHL was marked predominantly by the game-winning goal he scored in Detroit, it was his playoff performance that might have pushed him closer to a full-time NHL job.

He played five games in the postseason, registering one assist along the way, but it was his physical play and tenacity against the Dallas Stars that truly stood out. In a series against an opponent whose style was predicated on trying to bully the Avs, O’Connor’s willingness to utilize his speed to create problems on the forecheck and throw the body was notable.

The two-year pact is designed to give O’Connor a significant raise regardless of whether or not he is an Av or an Eagle. Year one of the contract will pay him $175K if he’s in the minors and $700K if he’s with the Avalanche while year two the contract converts to a one-way deal in which he will make $750K regardless of where he is.

That the Avs would structure the deal this way strongly suggests he is in their NHL plans, especially in the second year as teams don’t typically hand out one-way contracts to RFAs who they don’t envision as legitimate contributors to the NHL squad.

Colorado has several depth players facing unrestricted free agency, including Vladislav Namestnikov, Matt Nieto, and Colin Wilson. It is believed the emergence of O’Connor is one reason all three will be allowed to test the open market.

While the sample size is obviously limited, you can see the appeal of O’Connor below. Strong underlying metrics suggest a good defensive player who just needs to find a little more offense to justify sticking in the NHL for good.