Macklin Celebrini's Record-Setting Extension Just Changed Cale Makar's Next Colorado Avalanche Contract
The Colorado Avalanche have already made it known that they want defenseman Cale Makar on their roster until his retirement, and as such are already underway with contract negotiations.
Makar currently only has one season remaining on his six-year, $54 million contract (featuring a $9 million AAV). As a result of having originally signed in July of 2021, he is now eligible to sign an extension with it being past July 1 on the yearly calendar.
Another fellow NHL player who was up for an extension was young phenom of the San Jose Sharks — Macklin Celebrini, who on July 29 inked a five-year contract extension worth $18.8 million AAV for San Jose.
This deal now makes Celebrini the League's highest-paid player, at only 20 years old.
Breaking: The Sharks have signed forward Macklin Celebrini to a five-year contract extension worth $18.8 million AAV, the team announced.
— ESPN (@espn) July 29, 2026
The deal makes him the NHL's highest paid player. pic.twitter.com/YSleRUd97O
But, what does this deal in particular mean for the Avalanche? And what does it mean for what Makar's future contract extension could look like?
How Macklin Celebrini Extension Indicates Good News for Cale Makar, Coloorado Avalanche
Makar has already been anticipated to get an upcoming top deal with Colorado due to his success on the ice and what he produces for the Avs.
President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Joe Sakic has said his negotiations with Makar's agent through Bartlett Hockey are a top priority for this summer.
“Cale is going to finish his career here," Sakic said in a recent article from 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.”
The two-time Norris Trophy winner is coming off a 2025-26 League year that saw him post 79 points from 20 goals and 59 assists, with him also hitting his 500th NHL point. Makar's 79 points put him as the Avalanche's third-leading point producer; he was also nominated as a Norris Trophy finalist for the sixth straight year.
Celebrini's deal provides a baseline for the Avs' front office staff to work with when discussing what a potential long-term contract for Makar could look like.
Makar wasn't selected at No. 1 overall like Celebrini, but he was originally drafted by the Avs with the fourth overall selection back in the 2017 NHL Draft.
He's since become one of the most recognizable faces of Colorado's franchise, and it should not shock anyone if Makar eventually inks a max salary deal. New York Islanders On SI also recently reported that Celebrini's new deal also points in the positive direction for fellow-defenseman Matthew Schaefer.
As previously reported, for 2026-27 the salary cap has been set for $104 million — and the max AAV a player can sign is 20 percent of that $104 million, so around $20.8 million AAV.
Given what Celebrini signed for, it only indicates more money for Makar to potentially ask for before this summer's end.
Jennifer Streeter graduated with a B.A. in journalism from Texas A&M and received her Master of Science from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. At both schools, she focused on an emphasis of sports reporting. A former athlete herself, "Jenny" was a varsity soccer player and comes from a family who participated in NCAA athletics. She has covered hockey since 2023 and is credentialed for the Seattle Kraken, New Jersey Devils and PWHL in addition to having covered the 2026 Frozen Four.