Jaden Schwartz agrees to return to the Central Division with Colorado Avalanche on a three-year contract

The Colorado Avalanche have signed veteran forward Jaden Schwartz to a three-year contract, bringing the 34-year-old winger back to the NHL’s higher-stakes mix after five seasons with the Seattle Kraken. The move, first reported by Yahoo Sports and later covered by multiple outlets, is Colorado’s effort to add a stabilizing presence in the forward group as the Avalanche look to stay among the league’s championship contenders.

Schwartz’s most recent season with Seattle came in a 50-game stretch that produced 11 goals and 15 assists, a contribution line that reflects his continued ability to generate offense while maintaining a two-way role. In all, he has logged 861 games across his NHL career with the Seattle Kraken and the St. Louis Blues, giving Colorado a veteran option with years of experience in different team identities and coaching styles.

Colorado’s interest in Schwartz also connects to his playoff résumé. Schwartz won the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, when his team delivered the franchise’s breakthrough championship. He was drafted 14th overall by the Blues in the 2010 NHL Draft, a path that has now come full circle in Colorado as he transitions from one Pacific Division club to the Central.

The contract length is confirmed as three years. Financial terms are where the reporting has diverged slightly across outlets. ESPN reported the agreement as worth 3.25 million dollars annually, while the league’s own transaction coverage indicated that financial terms were not disclosed publicly. For now, fans should treat the annual figure as reported by ESPN rather than as an official league-released number.

From a roster-building standpoint, Colorado’s addition fits a broader pattern of teams balancing youth and veteran steadiness. Schwartz can be slotted as a middle-to-late-line forward depending on matchups, and his NHL experience can matter in the postseason where depth minutes and special teams reliability become more expensive. For Seattle, the departure creates a hole in the Kraken’s veteran forward depth, shifting the burden to younger players and remaining veterans to absorb expanded roles.

What to watch next is how Colorado deploys Schwartz within its lineup once the club’s offseason work is complete. In particular, his usage on the power play and in even-strength matchups could report whether Colorado views him primarily as a scorer, a facilitator, or a matchup-driven option. With NHL free agency still settling and training camps approaching, the next development will be where Schwartz lands on the depth chart and how quickly he fits into Colorado’s systems.