Avalanche ‘confident’ Cale Makar will have new contract before 2026-27 season

The Colorado Avalanche expect to get a deal done with Cale Makar fairly soon.

Avalanche president and general manager Joe Sakic told reporters Sunday night that he’s “pretty confident (Makar) will be signed before the season starts.”

Makar, 27, is in the final year of a six-year contract that pays him $9 million per season. He is now eligible for a contract extension, with some speculating he could sign for a number close to, or beyond the current $18-million salary from Anaheim Ducks’ center Leo Carlsson.

Last season, Makar, a native of Calgary, has 20 goals and 59 assists for 79 points in 75 regular-season games. He also had four goals and an assist for five points in 11 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Across seven NHL seasons, Makar has 136 goals and 371 assists for 507 points in 470 career regular-season games. He also has 26 goals and 64 assists for 90 points in 90 career playoff games.

Makar won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP in 2022, helping the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup with a six-game series win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The right-handed defenseman has won the Norris Trophy for the league’s best defender twice (2022, 2025).

The No. 4 overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft spent two seasons dominating college hockey with UMass-Amherst, capped off with 16 goals and 33 assists for 49 points in 41 games, winning the Hobey Baker Award for the best player in the country in 2018-19.

Internationally, Makar won a gold medal with the Canadian Under-20 squad at the 2018 World Junior Championships. He also won a gold medal at the 4 Nations Face-Off, then a silver medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.