The Colorado Avalanche announced they signed defenseman Devon Toews to a seven-year contract that kicks in next season.

One of the top defensemen in the 2024 NHL UFA class is off the board.

The Colorado Avalanche announced Friday they re-signed Devon Toews to a seven-year contract extension. The club didn't release financial details, but TSN's Chris Johnston reports it carries a $7.25-million average annual value.

He is currently in the final season of a four-year deal worth $4.1 million annually and would've been one of the top defensemen available in free agency if his contract expired.

Toews, 29, played 80 games with the Avalanche last season, recording 43 assists and 50 points while averaging 25:06 of ice time per game, which ranked eighth in the NHL. The Abbotsford, B.C., native also began his fourth season with the Avalanche in Colorado's season-opening 5-2 win on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Kings. He put up an assist in 24 minutes of ice time.

Since being selected 108th overall in the 2014 NHL draft by the New York Islanders, Toews has played 316 career NHL regular-season games, with 40 goals and 145 assists for 185 points. He was part of Colorado's Stanley Cup-winning team in 2021-22 and has a total of 10 goals, 35 assists and 45 points in 67 playoff games.

Toews is Colorado's top-pairing left defenseman alongside Cale Makar, one of the best blueliners in the NHL. When the Avalanche have a duo that munches minutes and had the third-best expected goals percentage among pairings with at least 500 minutes last season (per moneypuck.com), the last thing they would've wanted to do is risk losing that chemistry by not re-signing Toews.

He's now locked in alongside blueliners Makar, Samuel Girard and Josh Manson through the next three years. But even with the salary cap expected to rise next season, the Avalanche will likely still be up against the maximum. And if Toews is in the later stages of his prime years, the hope is he'll be able to remain effective and durable through the 2030-31 season.