Cale Makar Poised for $20M Deal as Contract Talks Heat Up

Cale Makar will be eligible to sign a new extension on July 1, a full year before his current deal runs out, and the NHL’s contract chatter is already heating up. Pierre LeBrun, the league’s insider, suggested Monday that the Avalanche defenseman could command a historic $20 million AAV, while a more conservative projection lands him in the $17-18 million range.

When does the contract window open?

The six-year, $54 million pact Makar signed in 2021 carries a $9 million cap hit and will enter its final season on July 1, 2024. That date triggers the first opportunity for the Avalanche to lock in a fresh deal, giving both player and front office months to negotiate before the cap-freeze deadline.

Makar’s résumé already includes a Norris Trophy, a Conn Smythe, and a Stanley Cup from his debut season under that contract, achievements that keep him at the top of the defensemen market. Those accolades give him leverage that few peers can match, especially as the league’s salary ceiling continues its upward climb.

The new contract could be structured as a front-loaded deal, a common tactic to maximize cap efficiency. By front-loading, Colorado would spread the $54 million total over fewer years, freeing space in later seasons for free-agent signings while still rewarding Makar for his prime years.

How high could Makar’s salary climb?

LeBrun’s boldest scenario puts Makar at $20 million AAV, a figure that would crown him the NHL’s first player to breach that threshold. More tempered forecasts hover between $17 million and $18 million, a range that still eclipses the current benchmark set by Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov, whose eight-year deal tops out at $17 million.

Before Kaprizov’s contract, the top of the market moved in smaller steps-Connor McDavid