The Colorado Avalanche are getting close to locking up Cale Makar, and the number attached to that next deal could reshape the top of the NHL salary market.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the team is closing in on an extension with the star defenseman, calling it “a biggie.” That kind of language points to a contract that could land Makar at or near the top of the league’s pay scale, with the possibility of making him the highest-paid player in the NHL.
Makar is 27 and heading into the final season of his current contract. He can become an unrestricted free agent next July if no extension is in place, and any new deal would not kick in until the 2027-28 season.
The ceiling around the league has climbed quickly. Before the offseason, the biggest signed contracts were Kirill Kaprizov’s eight-year deal worth $17 million AAV, set to begin in 2026-27, and Leon Draisaitl’s eight-year contract at $14 million AAV, which started last year.
Since July, that bar has gone up again. Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson signed a five-year offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers worth $18 million AAV, and Anaheim matched it. Then the San Jose Sharks raised the stakes even further with Macklin Celebrini, whose five-year deal carries an $18.8 million AAV beginning with the 2027-28 season.
Connor Bedard also moved past Draisaitl, landing a five-year contract at $15 million AAV.
That leaves Makar and Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes as the two superstar names to watch for contracts that could push beyond those figures.
Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic said last Sunday that he was confident a Makar deal would be signed before training camp.
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Connor Hellebuyck has also become part of the conversation after his agent publicly requested a trade from Winnipeg, and that has naturally sparked some speculation about Colorados possible interest. Nothing has been confirmed, and the idea remains conjecture, but it is the kind of twist that can quickly give Avalanche fans another reason to keep an eye on the rumor mill while they wait on Makars deal. [Read more 🡒]
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Avalanche Fans Still Have One Huge Cale Makar Contract Question
Cale Makars next contract has been the biggest offseason item hanging over the Avalanche, and the wait now appears to be nearing an end. Elliotte Friedman reported that Makar and Colorado have agreed to terms on a new extension, a development that matters not just because of Makars status as one of the leagues premier defensemen, but because the Avalanche had been operating with the understanding that a deal would eventually get done.
Joe Sakic never sounded alarmed about the timing before the regular season, and this is the sort of situation Colorado expected to settle in due course. What remains unresolved is the part fans care about most right now, the length and financial shape of the contract, which is still being kept in the speculative zone until the full agreement is made public. [Read more 🡒]