Cale Makar Signs Record-Breaking Extension With Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche have signed defenseman Cale Makar to an eight-year contract extension worth $163.2 million, as Sports Illustrated first reported. The deal carries a $20.4 million average annual value (AAV), making Makar the highest-paid player in the history of the NHL. He is the first player to surpass the $20 million mark, eclipsing the previous record of $18.8 million set by Macklin Celebrini.

Scheduled to begin in the 2027-28 season and run through 2034-35, the contract includes a full no-move clause. Sports Illustrated reports that the deal is structured with varying base salaries and signing bonuses; for example, year four features a $12.8 million base salary and an $8 million signing bonus, while year eight includes a $1 million base and an $18.8 million signing bonus.

While the $20.4 million AAV is a historic figure, Sports Illustrated notes that the impact depends largely on the NHL salary cap trajectory. If the cap reaches a projected $113.5 million for the 2027-28 season, Makar's hit would represent approximately 18% of the team's available cap space. This is an increase from his previous six-year, $54 million contract signed in 2021, where his $9 million AAV accounted for 11.04% of the cap.

Drafted fourth overall in 2017, Makar has recorded 507 points in 470 regular-season games. His career accolades include two Norris Trophies, a Calder Trophy, and a Conn Smythe Trophy, and he was a central figure in Colorado's 2022 Stanley Cup victory. Sports Illustrated suggests that while the contract creates challenges in building a balanced roster, the deal follows a trend of rising benchmarks set by players such as Kirill Kaprizov ($17 million AAV) and Leo Carlsson ($18 million AAV).