Fans got the news they had been waiting for since July 1st: Cale Makar has signed an extension with the Colorado Avalanche. Since the beginning of July, Makar has been eligible for an extension. Signing him to an eight-year deal required action from the Avalanche before September 16. That is when the NHL collective bargaining agreement begins. At the start of the summer, the Avs said that Cale would retire as an Avalanche. The goal was always to get him signed, just a matter of how much.
COMMITTED TO CALE ✍️
We have signed defenseman Cale Makar to an eight-year contract extension through the 2034-35 season. pic.twitter.com/zU0NePvUSk— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) August 28, 2026
The deal
The Avalanche and Makar have agreed to a eight-year contract with a $20.4 million AAV ($163.2 million). This will make Makar the highest-paid player in league history and keep him in Colorado through 2035. This will also help solidify the Avalanche’s blue line until 2029–30 with the extensions of Devon Toews, Sam Malinski, and Brett Kulak. The Avalanche now require a deal with forward Artturi Lehkonen, understanding their current situation.
The #GoAvsGo Cale Makar 8 year $20.4M Cap Hit Extension
Yr 1-3 $4M Base & 16.8M Signing Bonus
Yr 4 $12.8M & $8M SB
Yr 5 $4M & $16.8M SB
Yr 6 $3M & $16.8M SB
Yr 7 $2.8M & $16.8M SB
Yr 8 $1M & $18.8M SBNo Move Clause
Rep'd by @BartlettHockey
The $20.4M Cap Hit is just short…
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) August 28, 2026
Why so high?
Speculation was that the Avalanche were waiting for Quinn Hughes to be signed so they could offer a similar number. The Minnesota Wild were said to be waiting on the Avalanche, so someone had to cave. Recent deals with other players like Bowen Byram for six-years and a $12.5 million cap hit drastically raised Makar’s price. Leo Carlsson raised the stakes with his $18 million cap hit. With far less experience and accolades to his name, this raised the price on Makar. Unfortunately, this will leave the Avalanche with $11 million to fill the roster with top-six wing, backup goalie, and a seventh defenseman during the 2027–28 season.
Who will be around Makar
Makar will have quite a team around him until the summer of 2031. Nathan MacKinnon, Logan O’Connor, Toews and Kulak all have contracts that will expire that summer. Gabriel Landeskog’s contract will expire in the summer of 2029 (will probably be extended), but there will be talent surrounding Makar for a long time. The team may be getting older, but the gaps will be filled with youthful talent to help win a Stanley Cup.
