Cale Makar Signs Record-Breaking Eight-Year Extension with the Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche announced that defenseman Cale Makar has agreed to an eight-year extension worth $163.2 million. The contract carries an average annual value (AAV) of $20.4 million, making Makar the first NHL player to earn $20 million or more per season and the highest-paid player in league history. The deal begins in the 2027-28 season and runs through 2034-35, when Makar will be 36.

Makar raises bar for NHL defensemen with 8-year, $163.2 million contract

Makar was drafted fourth overall in 2017 and entered the final year of his previous six-year, $54 million pact (signed July 24 2021) with a $9 million cap hit. Over his first seven seasons he has won two Norris Trophies, a Calder Trophy, a Conn Smythe Trophy, and helped Colorado capture the 2022 Stanley Cup.

New York Times

• Contract total: $163.2 million

Makar raises bar for NHL defensemen with 8-year, $163.2 million contract

• AAV: $20.4 million (first $20 million-plus AAV)

Makar raises bar for NHL defensemen with 8-year, $163.2 million contract

• Cap hit limit: $20.8 million under the current CBA – Makar’s deal is $400,000 below that ceiling.

New York Times

• Career totals (as of 2025-26): 136 goals, 507 points in 470 regular-season games; 26 goals, 90 points in 90 playoff games.

Makar signs record 8-year, $163.2 million contract with Avalanche, worth $20.4M annually

• Recent production: 20 goals and 79 points in 75 games (2025-26).

Makar signs record 8-year, $163.2 million contract with Avalanche, worth $20.4M annually

• Salary-cap benchmark: Makar’s AAV resets the market for elite defensemen, surpassing the previous record held by Macklin Celebrini ($18.8 million AAV) and exceeding Erik Karlsson by $8.9 million.

Cale Makar’s Contract Is Fourth Record NHL Deal in 11 Months

• CBA timing: This is the last summer players can sign eight-year contracts; the new CBA, effective Sept. 15, reduces the maximum term for re-signings to seven years.

Cale Makar's looming extension could have a major impact on a future Matthew Schaefer deal

• Ripple effect: The contract establishes a new reference point for negotiations with other top blueliners, notably Quinn Hughes of the Minnesota Wild.

Heavy

Makar’s agency, Bartlett Hockey, confirmed the terms and emphasized that the AAV sits just below the league-maximum cap hit.

CBC News

• Maximum cap hit: Some sources cite a league-maximum AAV of $20.8 million (based on the current $104 million cap), while others project a future maximum of $22.7 million (20 % of the expected $113.5 million cap for 2027-28).

New York Times

• Future cap projections: The projected 2027-28 cap of $113.5 million is an estimate; the actual figure could differ, altering the percentage of the cap that Makar’s $20.4 million AAV represents.

New York Times

• “I am so excited and humbled to continue to wear the Avalanche sweater and represent this incredible organization and community,” — Cale Makar

Denver Post

• “I couldn't be more excited to continue my journey here with the Avalanche in this amazing city of Denver,” — Cale Makar

CBC News