Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche Agree to New Contract: Latest Details and Reaction

The Colorado Avalanche announced Friday they have signed forward Nathan MacKinnon to a seven-year deal through the 2022-23 season.

According to Bleacher Report's Adrian Dater, the contract is worth a total of $44.1 million.

MacKinnon, who at 20 years old was an unrestricted free agent, recently completed his third season with the Avalanche and recorded 21 goals and 31 assists. 

Keeping MacKinnon in Colorado was important for Avalanche vice president and general manager Joe Sakic, as he told the team's official website.

"Signing Nathan to a long-term contract was a priority this offseason," he 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 moving forward."

The 6'0" winger is capable of playing a tough brand of hockey, which allows him to get to the front of the net for scoring opportunities. But his ability to dictate where the play is going even when he isn't in possession also puts him in favorable positions:

That ability has made him a valuable asset on the power play and is a trait that all reliable scorers need to have.

After a rookie season in which he put up a career-best 24 goals and 39 assists, a sophomore slump saw his point total decrease by 25 and his plus/minus rating go from plus-20 to minus-seven. 

He silenced a lot of doubts last season, when he recorded 52 points as a part of Colorado's young first line, which featured captain Gabriel Landeskog (23) and Matt Duchene (25).

However, that line might not be staying together for long. On June 30, TSN's Frank Seravalli noted both Duchene and Landeskog have been involved in "trade rumblings" over the past year. 

If that's the case, MacKinnon could play out his new contract without some of his most productive teammates, which shows the kind of confidence the Avalanche have in him moving forward. 

Stats courtesy of Hockey-Reference.com.