Cale Makar signs 8-year, $163.2M deal, becomes NHL's highest-paid player

sportsAug 28, 202625355

The Colorado Avalanche signed defenseman Cale Makar to an eight-year contract extension worth $163.2 million, carrying an average annual value of $20.4 million and making him the highest-paid player in NHL history. Makar, 27, is a two-time Norris Trophy winner who has already won the Conn Smythe, a Stanley Cup, and the Calder Trophy, and he has been a Norris finalist six straight years, James Mirtle and Sean Gentille note. The deal technically could have reached $20.8 million per season, the New York Times reports, and UPI cited Makar’s agency in confirming the $163.2 million figure. The contract spans through the 2034, 35 season, locking Makar to Colorado for nearly a decade and carrying a cap hit that dwarfs last season’s top-paid defenseman Erik Karlsson by about $8.9 million. Analysts in the reporting place the signing in the context of rising star pay and projected salary-cap growth; if the NHL cap reaches about $160 million by 2031, 32, Makar’s cap hit would fall to roughly 13 percent of the ceiling and approximate a $12 million value against last season’s cap. Colorado secured its franchise defenseman long term, while the NHL establishes its first player at the $20 million per year threshold.

Colorado Avalanche

@avalanche.bsky.social

COMMITTED TO CALE ✍️ We have signed defenseman Cale Makar to an eight-year contract extension through the 2034-35 season. 📰: avs.social/CaleMakarExt...

813h ago

Quoting this

The Annotated Fan5

Makar extension is 8 years and comes in at 20.4 M AAV Some will be stressed over this but ultimately it’s paying the best hockey player in the world like he’s the best in the world. #GoAvsGo

cecilia2

glad they got it done but I really hope the avs win the cup in this window lol

The Athletic

@theathletic.com

The Colorado Avalanche have signed star defenseman Cale Makar to an eight-year, $163.2 million contract extension. The deal is the largest in NHL history, as is the $20.4 million average annual value. nyti.ms/4iy5Pn9

473h ago

Quoting this

Annie Desrochers3

Ayoye. J’ai bien noté que tu n’avais de hockey au menu demain matin @oliparle.bsky.social mais il va falloir m’expliquer ceci 🤨

Loudness war hater2

Seeing these kind of numbers in an NHL contract is absolutely surreal

Elliotte Friedman (Bot)

@notfriedgehnic.bsky.social

About to go off-line for a bit, but the much-anticipated extension for Cale Makar and Colorado is closing in Going to be a biggie…but a critical piece of business for the Avalanche

32Yesterday

Quoting this

Evan Rawal15

Sounds like both parties agreed to terms late last night. Sakic wasn’t kidding when he said he wasn’t worried.

Ian St. Clair3

This is fantastic news for Cale and the Avs! 🥬🙌

Micah McCurdy

@hockeyviz.com

Cale Makar (8x20.4m extension with Colorado) is a strong #1 defender, more noticeable for converting offence into goals than for creating in the first place. Helps his team's penalty differential. Just the tiniest smidgen weaker than the contract, for mine, even with the higher caps coming.

223h ago

TSN

@tsnofficial.bsky.social

Cale Makar becomes the NHL’s new highest-paid player after signing an 8-year contract extension with the Colorado Avalanche, carrying an AAV of $20.4M!

213h ago

Quoting this

Brian Wilde22

This is the new reality, Folks. Another example of how well positioned the Canadiens are in their salary cap structure for many years to come.

Mark Armstrong11

Holy crap. The Canes’ current contracts are like precious little porcelain dolls now

Uncle Space Ghost3

Happy for Makar, but surely we've learned from the Leafs and Oilers during the last decade that consolidating so much of your cap around a small group within a 23-man roster leads to perpetual disappointment, no matter how extremely talented that small group is.

|| Mandy || 🇨🇦 ||3

Evan Bouchard at 10.5m looks so good these days.

Jackbrat2

Every time I see one of these blockbuster contracts it makes me appreciate Kent Hughes even more...along with the young Canadiens who are willing to sacrifice millions to help their club win the Cup #GoHabsGo 💙🤍❤️

summer enthusiast2

I guess I am not the most well-compensated person to come out of UMass, then

PrimeBane🇨🇦2

This is nuts Happy for the player, but this is nuts

Mark Lazerus

@marklazerus.bsky.social

Pretty wild that Cale Makar is making *checks notes* Brandon Nimmo money.

172h ago

Ryan Boulding ❌👑

@rboulding.bsky.social

Cale Makar is going to make all the money when his contract kicks in next year and runs through 2034-35. He’s going to need it with twins on the way.

“Today is an exciting day for the Avalanche organization and our wonderful fans,” said Avalanche President of Hockey Operations/General Manager Joe Sakic. “Cale is a generational defenseman and his accomplishments speak for themselves. He is obviously a tremendous competitor and player but even more so a great person, teammate and ambassador for the Avalanche and the Rocky Mountain region. We are beyond thrilled to get this deal done and have Cale in an Avalanche sweater for the next decade.”

“I am so excited and humbled to continue to wear the Avalanche sweater and represent this incredible organization and community,” said Makar. “I would like to thank the Kroenke family, Joe Sakic and the entire Avalanche organization for their commitment, trust and belief in me. I would also like to thank my wife and family for their constant support, as well as Scott, Brian and Steve Bartlett for their guidance and assistance.

“To the Avalanche fans, thank you for your continued support and for welcoming us to Colorado years ago. Colorado has truly become a second home to us, and we are so grateful to be here. I look forward to getting back on the ice with my teammates and continuing to work toward our goal of bringing the Stanley Cup back to the Mile High City.”

143h ago

Evan Rawal

@evanrawal.bsky.social

It all came together on Wednesday night, and now Cale Makar has signed the largest contract in NHL history. 8 more years for #8. www.denvergazette.com/2026/08/28/a...

153h ago

NHL Trade Alert

@nhltradealert.bsky.social

✍️ SIGNED Colorado and Cale Makar have agreed to an 8 year extension with an AAV of $20.4m #NHL #GoAvsGo

143h ago

Pierre LeBrun (Bot)

@notpierrevlebrun.bsky.social

Deserved, massive payday for the world’s No, 1 D. But the Avalanche get some concession on getting the eight years. Most superstars looking for shorter deals now. Makar will get paid but the team is thrilled to get him for 8 years. Fair deal all around.

123h ago

DNVR Avalanche

@dnvr-avalanche.bsky.social

IT’S FINALLY DONE ‼️ Cale Makar has signed an 8-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche, $20.4M AAV. Thoughts? 💭🫣

113h ago

Quoting this

Louis Boulet6

Makar extends 8x20.4M with COL. While his play-driving without MacKinnon isn’t great, the microstats remain stellar. He’s a triple-threat in the o-zone, an elite puck-mover all over the ice, and wields a disruptive defensive stick. Now, how does this affect QHughes’s negotiations? 📊 lb-hockey.com

Arch3

That Bouchard deal is a steal though

Seraphgrim2

I don't think I have ever simultaneously said "ooof" and "that's absolutely okay" about an NHL player before. That's an absolute shitload of money, but I'd be okay giving it to Makar. If there's a problem here, it's not the $20m to him, it's everyone else wanting to slot in under it.

Zach Savery 2

Got damn, but with the 8 years it totally makes sense. McDavid's extension/next contract is going to be wild

NHL (Bot)

@notnhl.bsky.social

Cale Makar has accomplished so much already in his career with the /Avalanche... 🏔️ What do the next eight years hold?

83h ago

BlindManBaldwin

@blindmanbaldwin.bsky.social

cale makar YOU can now afford to buy a house in denver colorado

103h ago

BarDown

@bardown.bsky.social

Cale Makar makes history as the leagues highest paid player and first $20M per year player. 🤯

93h ago

NHLAdamK

@nhladamk.bsky.social

Cale Makar signs 8-year, $163.2 million contract. When it starts next season, the defenseman will be the league’s highest paid player at $20.4 million per season. www.nhl.com/news/cale-ma...

62h ago

3 sources

nytimes.comNHL contract grades: Cale Makar hits $20 million, and who can fault the Avalanche?russianmachineneverbreaks.comCale Makar becomes NHL’s highest-paid player after signing 8-year contract extension with Avalanche worth $20.4 million per season upi.comColorado Avalanche sign Cale Makar to largest contract in NHL history - UPI.com

Cale Makar signs 8-year, $163.2M deal, becomes NHL's highest-paid playersports

Cale Makar signs 8-year, $163.2M deal, becomes NHL's highest-paid player

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