The clock is ticking on Colorado’s best chance to lock up Cale Makar for the long haul.
September 15 is the key date. After that, the Avalanche will no longer be able to give Makar an eight-year contract. Once the new Collective Bargaining Agreement kicks in, the maximum term drops to seven years.
That matters because the extra year is about more than just adding another season to the deal. An eight-year contract would send a clear message that Makar is tied to Colorado as the franchise centerpiece, the kind of player whose name becomes inseparable from the organization. Even if he eventually leaves after his next contract, that kind of agreement would make his place in Avalanche history feel set in stone.
If the two sides miss that deadline, nothing dramatic happens right away. The negotiation doesn’t disappear; it just shifts.
Colorado and Makar could still work toward a seven-year deal, or even go shorter if that ends up making the most sense. A shorter contract at a lower cap hit would give the Avalanche more room to stay competitive while the salary cap keeps climbing.
And from a legacy standpoint, a shorter deal wouldn’t automatically change how Makar is viewed. If the reasoning is clear, it could actually help his image. A two-year deal, for instance, with the same cap hit he has now would make him look like a player putting the team first, willing to leave money on the table for the good of the roster.
The Avalanche would be in position to reward that kind of flexibility later, once the cap rises further. And if Makar does choose that route, it would only strengthen the idea that he’s one of the most committed stars in franchise history.
In Other News...
Cale Makar Sends A Clear Message About Colorados New-Look Roster
Cale Makar did not spend much time soft-pedaling what went wrong for the Avalanche after a strong regular season gave way to a disappointing playoff exit. He acknowledged the frustrations that came with the ending and the reality that Colorado had to absorb a tough lesson after a year that suggested a deeper run was there for the taking.
Now the focus shifts to a roster that has changed quite a bit since then, with trades and free-agent additions reshaping the group around Makar. Even with the different look, his message was clear: the standard in Colorado has not moved, and neither has the expectation that this team should be in the Stanley Cup conversation again when the season begins. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Face A Painful Roster Debate Around Cale Makar And Depth
The Avalanche are staring at one of those roster questions that can shape everything that follows, because the business side of the next few seasons is starting to press against the hockey side. Artturi Lehkonen and Cale Makar are moving toward contract decisions, and Colorado also has to sort through upcoming free agents such as Nicolas Roy, Brent Burns and Scott Wedgewood while keeping an eye on a cap picture that could tighten quickly.
Makar is the obvious centerpiece of the discussion, but the larger issue is how much room the Avalanche can preserve around him without thinning out the supporting cast that makes the lineup work. It is the kind of debate that can look simple from the outside, keep the star and figure out the rest, but for Colorado it is tied to depth, flexibility and a series of choices that may not all fit neatly together. [Read more 🡒]