Colorado Avalanche On SI

'Deserves It': Avalanche Fans React to Cale Makar's Historic Contract

Cale Makar's record-setting $163.2 million extension has Avalanche fans celebrating, joking about the price tag and looking ahead to the future.

Jayd Serdy

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8). Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8). Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
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Colorado Avalanche fans have spent months waiting to find out what Cale Makar's next contract would look like. Now they know, unsurprisingly, the reaction has been loud.

The Avalanche announced Friday that Makar signed an eight-year contract extension worth $163.2 million, carrying a $20.4 million average annual value. The deal will make Makar the NHL's highest-paid player when it kicks in ahead of the 2027-28 season.

Avalanche fans on X wasted little time reacting to the historic number.

The $20.4 million AAV immediately became the biggest talking point. Makar will become the NHL's first player with an average annual value above $20 million, surpassing the $18.8 million AAV Macklin Celebrini signed for earlier this summer.

For some fans, the reaction was essentially "who cares? Pay Cale Makar!" He has already established himself as one of the best defensemen in NHL history, winning two Norris Trophies, the Conn Smythe Trophy and a Stanley Cup during his Colorado career. He has also led all NHL defensemen in regular-season goals and points since entering the league full time in 2019-20.

Of course, a $20.4 million cap hit is going to produce some sticker shock, especially with the maximum AAV being $20.8 million.

Some fans joked about the lack of a "team-friendly" discount, while others pointed out just how enormous the number is compared to previous contracts around the NHL. There's another side to the conversation, though.

Avalanche fans are already looking ahead and wondering whether Makar's record-setting contract could eventually look like a bargain.

The NHL salary cap is expected to continue increasing, meaning the percentage of Colorado's overall cap space devoted to Makar could become smaller over the life of the deal. What looks like an enormous number today may not look quite as outrageous several years from now.

That's part of what makes the deal so fascinating. The Avalanche aren't simply paying Makar for what he has already accomplished. They're betting that one of the best players in the world will continue to justify a record-setting salary well into his 30s.

The 27-year-old was entering the final season of his previous six-year, $54 million contract and could have become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Instead, the Avalanche made the biggest financial commitment in league history to ensure the defenseman sticks around through the 2034-35 season.

While the number may take some getting used to, if the reaction from Avs faithful is any indication, most aren't going to complain about the price.

More Fan Reactions:

Admire Nabanza said “Cale Makar just became the NHL’s highest paid player has the Avalanche basically said, ‘This man is not going anywhere?’”

FloridaSpur says, “Well done Joe! What a player, and what an example to all the kids in Colorado off the ice.”

Nathan “Grav” Murdock said “Not really anything the Avs could do, they HAD to give Cale Makar the bag.

But for a team with depth issues already... 20.4M is going to be one hell of a pill to swallow.”

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Jayd Serdy
JAYD SERDY

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