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MacKinnon: 7 years, $44.1 million; 'It's just crazy to me, very lucky' |
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Rick Sadowski
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UPDATED WITH QUOTES
Nathan MacKinnon is in the fold.
The Avalanche have signed the 20-year-old center to a seven-year, $44.1 million contract for a salary cap hit of $6.3 million, the highest annual average value on the team.
"Honestly, it was very weird signing it today," MacKinnon, 20, said from his home in Halifax, Nova Scotia, during a conference call. "I hesitated before I sent it back, just thinking where I’m from and that kind of money. It’s just crazy to me, but I’m very lucky and I know I’m very fortunate. It's nice to have security, and I know Denver will be my home for the next seven seasons. It weighs on you. I've been thinking about it for a long time. Now I can finish off my training and have a clear head and know where my home will be for the next seven years."
MacKinnon planned to celebrate by going to dinner with his parents and a few friends.
"Nothing too crazy, getting ready for next season," he said.
MacKinnon was one of the Avalanche's four remaining restricted free agents. Goalie Calvin Pickard recently signed a two-year, $2 million contract. Defenseman Tyson Barrie and forward Mikhail Grigorenko have opted for salary arbitration. Defenseman Duncan Siemens is unsigned.
“Signing Nathan to a long-term contract was a priority this offseason,” general manager Joe Sakic said in a news release. "He is going to be a key part of our team for many years to come and it was important to secure his rights moving forward.”
The 6-feet, 195-pound MacKinnon is entering his fourth NHL season after finishing third on the Avalanche in scoring last year with 52 points (21 goals, 31 assists) in 72 games. He missed the final 10 games because of a knee injury.
"I'm great, fully recovered," he said. "I've been skating and training, and everything has been great. I've been in Halifax mostly with friends and family. I've been training for a month and a half now. I feel great and I'm starting to get back on the ice more seriously. The summer's been flying by."
The first overall selection in the 2013 NHL draft, MacKinnon won the 2013-14 Calder Trophy after collecting 63 points (24 goals, 39 assists) in 82 games. He had two goals and eight assists in seven playoff games.
The Avalanche have missed the playoffs two seasons in a row, and MacKinnon said he is more motivated than ever to help them return.
"Obviously the pressure is there since signing this," he said. "They're making it a point that they want me to help us get back to the (playoffs). That's the whole goal behind this. I really think the players we have -- the young guys we have, the veterans -- we have a very good mix. It's been a disappointing couple seasons. I truly believe we're going to be a very strong team and a contender for years to come.
"I think everybody on the team has a little chip on their shoulder. I think we're really going to challenge ourselves. Me personally, I've never felt more motivated than I have the past couple months. I think I have a lot to prove in this league. I think I can take my game to a whole other level and I'm really excited to show it this season, especially with this new contract. There's a lot of pressure to perform and I'm looking forward to the challenge."
A Halifax native, MacKinnon has 59 goals and 94 assists in 218 NHL games.
He was the youngest player in franchise history to make his debut (18 years, 31 days), had the longest point streak by an 18-year-old in NHL history (13 games), became the youngest player to record two points in a game since 1944, and he tied the league record for the most points in his first two career playoff games with seven.
MacKinnon was selected to represent Team North America at the upcoming World Cup of Hockey, which will be held from Sept. 17 to Oct. 1 in Toronto.
He's represented Canada at two world championships (2014-15), helping his country to the gold medal in 2015. He also played for his nation at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship.
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