The Colorado Avalanche may be on the verge of getting their biggest piece of business done, and the ripple effects could stretch far beyond Denver.
Cale Makar and the Avalanche are reportedly closing in on a contract extension, with Elliotte Friedman saying Thursday morning that an announcement was coming. He called it “a critical piece of business for the Avalanche.”
“About to go off-line for a bit, but the much-anticipated extension for Cale Makar and Colorado is closing in Going to be a biggie…but a critical piece of business for the Avalanche.”
The shape of the deal is still the big question. Makar, a two-time Norris Trophy winner, is expected to land one of the richest contracts in NHL history.
If he goes shorter term, though, the annual number could be the headline. A three-year deal has been floated as a possibility, instead of a five- or six-year extension.
Colorado would prefer to lock him up for eight years, and an announcement now could mean both sides got it done before the September 16 deadline.
Adrian Hernandez of MileHighHockey wrote, “If the Makar contract is for 8 years, prepare yourself for a historically large AAV and incentives package/front loaded structure. If the above isn’t true, it will be one of the most team-friendly contracts ever.”
Whatever the final structure looks like, Makar’s next contract could become the number everyone else is chasing. That includes Quinn Hughes, with speculation that the deal could help jumpstart talks between Hughes and the Minnesota Wild. It may also affect the eventual negotiations between Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, who still has two seasons left on his deal, and his next contract.
One theory has Hughes’ camp waiting to see where Makar lands. If Makar’s annual salary comes in huge, Hughes would have a fresh comparable to use as he pushes for what many believe will be a three-year extension.
If Makar chooses the shorter route, Hughes is expected to stay on that path too. Both players are in their prime and viewed as defensemen who can anchor a Stanley Cup contender.
While the market for elite defensemen waits on Makar, Edmonton is dealing with a mess of its own.
The Oilers got hit with a string of injury news Wednesday, with Matt Savoie, Frederik Andersen, Alec Regula and Mattias Janmark all set to miss the start of training camp next month. There’s also uncertainty about whether all four will be ready for opening night of the regular season. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reported that Savoie and Andersen should be back in October.
That has already pushed Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer to wonder whether Edmonton will have to dip back into the unrestricted free-agent market, especially for penalty-killing help. Savoie and Janmark are both expected to play important roles there, so the Oilers may have to find a way to patch that hole.
The injuries to Savoie and Andersen happened during off-ice training sessions. Savoie’s issue is speculated to be tied to a knee problem, and the timing is rough no matter how the club handles it.
The most pressing concern may be in goal. With Andersen out, Edmonton’s projected tandem is Devon Levi and Tristan Jarry.
That pairing comes with plenty of questions. Jarry is coming off a difficult 2025-26 season, while Levi still has limited NHL experience.
That has already led to speculation that the Oilers could look again at the free-agent market for a goalie, with Connor Ingram among the names fans have mentioned.
For now, patience is the other path. Edmonton has about $4.7 million in current cap space, and that number could grow a lot by the trade deadline if the team lets it accrue. In the short term, Mathieu Joseph and Jason Dickinson can help cover some of the penalty-killing workload.
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