To borrow some baseball terminology, the "dog days of summer" are here in the hockey world, and the Avalanche have been quiet of late- until now. The team re-signed forward Joel Kiviranta to a one-year deal worth $.125 million.
Most would say this was a ho-hum type of contract, nothing noteworthy as training camp is just ahead, but when we look at the numbers, this was a bargain contract concocted by GM Chris MacFarland for the Avalanche.
Kiviranta is one of the best defensive forwards the team has, and defensively alone is worth far more money than the amount he signed for. According to Benchrates, Kiviranta's contract is highway robbery for the Avalanche.
Even if Joel Kiviranta hadn't had any points at all, his contribution to the team's defense would have exceeded the new Cap Hit by almost 3 times#GoAvsGo https://t.co/tUO7mfBw9S pic.twitter.com/ycjSw9GyH9
— Benchrates (@benchrates) August 8, 2025
The Finn’s contributions as a defensive player alone were comparably that of a player who would command a $7.3 million dollar contract on the open market. He’s clearly a difference maker on the defensive side of the puck and for the Avalanche to save so much money was a shrewd move by the organization.
His penalty kill contribution is rated an 84 overall (on a 100 scale), while his overall defensive contribution is a 97 overall. Those numbers are Selke worthy and he’ll be in the mix for that award when his impact in the Avs’ own zone continues into this season.
The metrics show Kiviranta is only getting better as an all-around player. Individual offense, team offense (while Kivi was on ice) and defense as a whole all improved in 2024-25 from 2023-24.
Last season Kiviranta was a reliable, steady, player who contributed 23 points across 79 games for the team. He was a plus 15, an excellent number for a bottom six forward, especially one who plays significant minutes on the penalty kill. Joel started over 67% of possessions in the defensive zone last season.
Standing 5’11, weighing 185 pounds, Kiviranta uses his body with reckless abandon, registering 114 hits last season. He also blocked 38 shots.
The team is acquiring defensive assets, as they have plenty of offensive firepower. They have a staunch defensive six, with the addition of veteran blueliner Brent Burns this offseason from Carolina. The Kiviranta re-signing will bolster their team inside their own blueline, and should pay dividends during the hard checking, less space style playoff hockey brings.
Another factor, less discussed, is the money the team saves by obtaining a team-friendly contract here. Had the winger signed for anywhere close to the more than $7 million the graph said his play represented, the team would continue to be strapped against the cap for that contract duration.
The team hasn’t had as much success as it would have liked since hoisting Lord Stanley in 2022. It’s been excellent offensively, but questions have been rampant about the defensive side of the ice since.
Good, team-friendly, defensive-minded acquisitions like the re-signing of number 94 will go a long way to quiet those critics.