Colorado Avalanche star defenseman Cale Makar could be one of the last NHL players to sign an eight-year contract, and he and the team made it a record-breaker.
He'll make $163.2 million in the extension he signed on Friday, Aug. 28 and have a record $20.4 million average annual value. He's the NHL's first $20 million player.
After Sept. 15, the maximum contract length goes to seven years for a player re-signing with his team and six years for a player signing with another team.
But this extension means Makar is under contract for nine more seasons with the Avalanche. Here's a look at the deal and how it affects the team's competitive window:
Is Cale Makar worth $20 million?
Yes, especially considering how much salaries have risen recently. He's a two-time winner of the Norris
Trophy and has been a top-three finalist in the six years since he won rookie of the year.
He was the fourth-fastest defenseman to reach 500 points, trailing only Hall of Famers Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey and Denis Potvin. He's averaging more than a point per game in the regular season (Orr and Coffey were the only defensemen to finish their careers that way) and has 90 points in 90 playoff games.
Makar was playoff MVP when the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022. As a sign of his importance, the No. 1 overall Avalanche were swept in the 2026 Western Conference finals with injured Makar unable to play the first two games.
How does deal affect Avalanche's competitive window?
Having Makar around for nine seasons will help. He and Devon Toews are the NHL's best defensive tandem, and Makar is signed through 2034-35 and Toews through 2030-31.
Top offensive forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas are also signed through 2031.
Makar's cap hit falls just short of the maximum 20%, but don't forget that the cap is going up. It's jumping to $113.5 million next season and Makar's annual average value is only 18% of that. There will be room to build around the core.
Makar is 27 and should remain productive well into the deal. He has been durable with only one season dealing with significant injuries.
His deal will keep the Avalanche competitive now and well into the future.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cale Makar contract makes him NHL's first $20M man: Why deal is worth it for Avalanche
