Avalanche sign Cale Makar to largest contract in NHL history

One of the best players in the world has hit a record-setting payday.

On Friday, the Colorado Avalanche announced that the team has signed defenseman Cale Makar to an eight-year contract extension. The deal, set to begin with the 2027-28 season, will carry an AAV of $20.4 million through the 2034-35 campaign, making him the highest-paid player in NHL history. It’s just shy of the maximum allowable cap hit under the CBA, which is $20.8 million.

It’s a substantial salary bump for Makar, who is heading into the final season of his six-year contract extension, signed in July 2021. That deal has an AAV of $9 million. With a $163.2 million deal, Makar is paid far more than the likes of Anaheim Ducks forward Lucas Carlsson ($18 million AAV) and Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov ($17 million AAV), who set themselves as the highest-paid players in the league at the time of their signings.

It’s no surprise that Makar is receiving such a massive deal. He’s widely regarded as the best defender in the game today, and he has the accolades to back it up. Since joining the Avalanche in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Calgary native has used his dynamic ability and versatile skill set to wow fans and turn opponents’ heads. He has become the poster boy for the new age of defenseman, a player who is reliable in his own zone but uses speed and puck-handling to be one of the best offensive weapons in the NHL.

In his seven full seasons in the league, the 27-year-old has averaged a point per game, reaching 90 points twice, including posting a career-high 30 goals and 92 points during the 2024-25 season. Injuries limited Makar to just 75 points this past year, but he still managed to reach 20 goals for the third year in a row, posting 79 points as well. His play helped the Avs win the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time since 2021, though Colorado was ousted by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final.

Makar has a growing trophy case. After winning the Calder Trophy in 2019-20, he has won the Norris Trophy twice (2021-22, 2024-25), helping the Avalanche win the franchise’s third Stanley Cup in 2022.

In 470 regular-season games, Makar has posted 136 goals and 371 assists for 507 points. He already ranks 10th all-time in franchise scoring and ninth in assists. His career plus/minus of +168 also places him fourth in the team’s history. In 90 postseason contests, Makar has registered 90 points, good for fifth in franchise history.