Cale Makar Signs Historic 8-Year Contract With Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche have officially locked up their franchise defenseman for the foreseeable future. Cale Makar has signed an eight-year contract extension with the Avalanche worth $163.2 million, carrying an average annual value of $20.4 million, according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman.
$20.4M AAV https://t.co/HCXQNSLHRG
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) August 28, 2026
The deal will make Makar the highest-paid player in NHL history by average annual value, cementing the two-time Norris Trophy winner as the centerpiece of Colorado’s roster for the next eight seasons.
Makar’s extension comes after months of anticipation surrounding his future with the Avalanche. The 27-year-old was entering the final season of his six-year, $54 million contract, which carries a $9 million AAV and was set to expire following the 2026-27 season. He would have become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Instead, Colorado has made a historic investment to ensure its star defenseman remains in Denver.
Makar Gets Historic Payday
Makar has more than earned the massive contract. The Avalanche selected him No. 4 overall in the 2017 NHL Draft, and he quickly established himself as one of the NHL’s best defensemen.
He has won the Norris Trophy twice, including most recently in 2025, and has been a Norris finalist in six consecutive seasons.
He also played a major role in Colorado’s 2022 Stanley Cup championship, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Makar is coming off another outstanding season in 2025-26, recording 20 goals and 59 assists for 79 points in 75 games. He helped Colorado capture the Presidents’ Trophy and reached the 500-point milestone during the season.
Now, he has been rewarded with a contract unlike anything the NHL has seen before. The $20.4 million AAV puts Makar comfortably ahead of the previous benchmark for NHL contracts, making him the first player in league history to surpass the $20 million annual threshold.
Avalanche Keep Their Franchise Player
For Colorado, this was always about more than simply avoiding Makar’s impending free agency. Makar is the foundation of the Avalanche’s blue line and one of the most important players in franchise history. Keeping him under contract through the 2034-35 season gives Colorado long-term certainty around the player it has built its defense around since drafting him in 2017.
Avalanche president of hockey operations Joe Sakic had repeatedly expressed confidence that Makar would remain in Colorado. As recently as Aug. 24, Sakic said the team was “pretty confident” Makar would sign before the season began.
The timing of the deal is also significant, under the NHL’s upcoming collective bargaining agreement, the maximum length of a contract extension will drop from eight years to seven beginning Sept. 16. Makar’s agreement allows Colorado to secure him for the maximum eight-year term before that change takes effect.
With Makar now locked up through 2034-35, the Avalanche have their franchise defenseman secured for the entirety of the next chapter of the organization.
