Cale Makar’s next contract with the Colorado Avalanche could depend on how many years he wants to sign for. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman said the Avalanche expect to reach a deal with their star defenseman, but the term could be one of the biggest issues in the talks.
Speaking on NHL Tonight, Friedman said Colorado is confident the two sides will get a deal done. NHL Rumour Report later shared 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 entering the final season of his six-year, $54 million contract. He became eligible to sign an extension on July 1. The Avalanche have until September 15 to give Makar an eight-year extension. After that date, the new collective bargaining agreement will limit contract extensions to seven years.
The salary cap for 2026-27 is set at $104 million, which puts the maximum AAV for a player at about $20.8 million. Cale Makar is not expected to get that much, but his new salary will still be an important part of Colorado’s cap picture.
Joe Sakic expects Cale Makar to remain in Colorado
Avalanche president of hockey operations and general manager Joe Sakic said the team has already started contract talks with Cale Makar’s representatives and expects the defenseman to remain in Colorado for the rest of his career.
“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 added:
“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.”
Cale Makar is expected to receive a significant raise on his next contract. Reports have suggested that his new deal could approach $20 million in average annual value, which would make him the NHL’s highest-paid player.
The 27-year-old finished the 2025-26 season with 79 points (20 goals, 59 assists) in 81 games and reached 500 career NHL points during the campaign. He finished third on the Avalanche in scoring and was named a Norris Trophy finalist for the sixth straight year.
Edited by Sonali Verma