The Colorado Avalanche and restricted free agent defenseman Sam Malinski agreed to a one-year $1.4 million deal that will keep him in Colorado. This is a win-win for both parties.
Malinski is coming off of a career year in which he had a much bigger role than in the past, playing in an impressive 76 games and recording five goals and 10 assists. He is listed on the third defensive pairing with Keaton Middleton, but it won’t shock me if he can still play significant minutes for the team this upcoming season. He’s not going to unseat Sam Girard or Josh Manson, but each pairing has its own job. Malinski might be asked to do more in 2025-26.
That’s a great situation for the 26 year old, as he will want every opportunity to show that he deserves a long-term deal with a higher AAV. I truly enjoyed watching Malinski last season. I think that he’s a good fit for this team and obviously his coaches and general manager Chris MacFarland agree. Signing him to his one-year restricted-free agency deal was one of the bigger in-house free agent moves they just had to make.
Malinski is likely to be a cheaper option for teams in the near future, so I don’t necessarily see any reason why the two sides won’t come to some sort of multi-year extension at some point.
For the 2024-25 season, Malinski had 57 hits and was third on the team in blocked shots with 107. While he’s not one of the leaders in scoring stats, he’s clearly an asset when it comes to the defensive side of the game. That’s something the Colorado Avalanche want and need going forward. His scoring ability can improve and that’s hopefully something the Avalanche will get to see this season as he tries to earn a long-term deal.
Though signing Malinski is now in the rearview mirror, that shouldn’t stop the team from looking at other options to possibly sign in free agency. Free agency begins on July 1st and the Avalanche have $7.55 million that they can spend.
The best case scenario for the Avalanche is that Malinski shines this upcoming season, earning an extension with a lot of term to it. That would lock down one roster spot for the future.