Avalanche sign Keaton Middleton to two-year extension
Photo by Ashley Potts/NHLI via Getty Images
The big defender will stay in Colorado. Before Thursday night’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, the Colorado Avalanche signed Keaton Middleton to a two-year contract.
We have signed Keaton Middleton to a two-year contract extension. pic.twitter.com/rpZVYmevcI— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 2, 2025
Middleton had been spending the majority of his time in the Avalanche organization in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles. However, with the absences of defenders such as John Ludvig and Oliver Kylington, Middleton earned his first NHL playing time since the 2020-2021 season.
Middleton has been solid in 10 games, not putting up any points. He’s a stay-at-home defender who can use the body and do some of the little things right on the ice which can go unnoticed.
He gives the Avs a little more strength and power, which they did not have at the start of the season. His contract is a two-way deal for the 2025-26 season but a one-way deal for the 2026-27 season, both at a league minimum of $775,000.
The younger brother of Minnesota Wild defender Jacob Middleton, Keaton might get some more time to face his brother in the coming years should he be a reliable call-up defender. His cheaper contract compared to other defenders also gives the Avs some flexibility working with the cap, particularly when Valeri Nichushkin, Miles Wood, and Gabriel Landeskog all return from injury.
If he continues to impress head coach Jared Bednar and the front office, perhaps he can be a late bloomer and make the jump full-time into the NHL. Let us know what you think of the signing in the comments below! ...
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