Cale Makar’s next contract in Colorado may come down to one big question: how long.
That’s the sense from Elliotte Friedman, who said the Avalanche expect to lock up their star defenseman, but that term could be the sticking point as the sides work toward a new deal. Speaking on NHL Tonight, Friedman said Colorado feels good about getting something done, and NHL Rumour Report later relayed his comments on X.
“The Avalanche said that we are gonna get this done; I think one of the big questions about him is going to be term” - NHL Tonight (8/7)
Makar is now in the final year of his six-year, $54 million contract and became eligible for an extension on July 1. The Avalanche have until September 15 to hand him an eight-year extension. Once that date passes, the new collective bargaining agreement will cap extensions at seven years.
Money is obviously part of the conversation too. The salary cap for 2026-27 is set at $104 million, which means the maximum AAV for a player sits around $20.8 million. Makar is not expected to hit that number, but whatever he lands on will be a major piece of Colorado’s cap planning.
Avalanche president of hockey operations and general manager Joe Sakic made it clear where he expects this to end up. He said the team has already opened talks with Makar’s camp and believes the defenseman will spend his entire career in Colorado.
“Cale is going to finish his career here,” Sakic said, per NHL.com. “We're already talking to his agent, so we're confident that something's going to get worked out at some point. I mean, he's got another year, but this summer we expect to have him signed.”
He also pointed to the group’s motivation after the disappointment of last season.
"The core guys are still here, so we're going to shoot and try and win another Cup next year. Everybody was disappointed.
I won't say anger was the thing, but to a man, they want to bring this back. They want to bring the group back, and they want to try and do it again."
Makar is in line for a huge raise on his next contract, with reports suggesting the average annual value could get close to $20 million. If that happens, he would become the NHL’s highest-paid player.
The 27-year-old wrapped up the 2025-26 season with 79 points, scoring 20 goals and adding 59 assists in 81 games. He also reached 500 career NHL points during the year, finished third on the Avalanche in scoring, and was named a Norris Trophy finalist for the sixth straight season.
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