Avalanche Sign Josh Manson to Two-Year Extension

Josh Manson is remaining with the Avalanche for the foreseeable future.

With a year still remaining on his last contract, the veteran blueliner signed a two-year contract extension with the Avs on Thursday, keeping him under contract with the club through the 2027-28 season.

Manson’s new deal is worth $3.95 million per season, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. It’s a slight discount from his current $4.5 million AAV.

Manson, who will turn 34 when the season begins, was arguably Colorado’s best and most consistent defenseman in the first-round series loss to the Dallas Stars. He provides a physical element the team doesn’t have much of, especially on the blueline.

I wondered if Manson would be traded after the Brent Burns signing, but it was mostly because of his injury struggles. Manson has missed 95 regular-season games through the first three years of his contract, which includes 34 injury absences during the 2024-25 regular season.

Prioritizing a new deal with Manson a year before he hits the market is a sign that the team likely knows the market for right-shot defensemen, even if playing on the third pair, is only going to continue to rise.

The Avs acquired Manson ahead of the 2022 trade deadline. He became a key piece of the top four for the Stanley Cup run that season before landing a four-year, $18 million extension with the Avalanche that summer.

The native of Hinsdale, Ill., had a goal and 14 assists in 48 games this past season. In 2023-24, Manson played 76 games for the Avalanche and scored a career-high eight goals.