Extending Cale Makar is the number one priority for the Colorado Avalanche going into the 2026-27 NHL season. While there are little concerns that Makar would want to test out free agency, the Avs hope to re-sign their best blueliner—and arguably the best in the league—for as long as possible.
On that note, the clock is ticking for the Avalanche. An eight-year contract extension remains within reach for Colorado, but on a limited time offer. In fact, the Avs have less than a month before such a long-term deal becomes a thing of the past in the NHL.
Under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the NHL and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), the maximum term for players re-signing with their teamswill drop from eight to seven years starting Sept. 16. That means the Avs have less than a month left before an eight-year deal for Makar is no longer a possibility.
A seven-year extension wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, and to some, it may make little difference. But Colorado’s front office would hope to keep Makar locked in for as long as possible. If a 10-year deal were possible, the Avs would hand their 27-year-old blueliner one in a heartbeat. Under the current regulations, however, eight is the most they can do, but not for long.
Cale Makar during 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Makar might be waiting for Quinn Hughes
Makar has shown a willingness to re-sign in the Mile High City and might even be on board with a max-term extension, even if the current trend among NHL superstars is to sign shorter-term deals and maintain control over their futures. Regardless, a deal has yet to come to fruition, and most signs point to Quinn Hughes’ situation with the Minnesota Wild being responsible for holding Makar back.
Not because Makar is suspicious of staying with his team, as Hughes may be, but because he wants to know where the market is set for the best defensemen in the league. Whoever signs first between Makar and Hughes will most certainly set a new record for the highest contract for a defenseman in NHL history. Bowen Byram ($12.5 million AAV) currently holds the record, but Hughes and Makar will likely surpass him, and perhaps it won’t even be close.
Thus, there are reasons to believe the shoe won’t drop until one of Hughes or Makar signs first. Minnesota is under much more pressure to re-sign Hughes, so it’s reasonable to think he will go first, while Colorado is relatively relaxed, knowing Makar is much more convinced of staying for the long term than Hughes is.
Makar’s current contract
As it stands, Makar will enter the 2026-27 NHL season on a contract year. The six-year, $54 million ($9 million AAV) deal he signed back in 2021 will expire at the end of the campaign, meaning Makar is a pending UFA. Among active defensemen’s contracts in the NHL, the Avs’ blueliner ranks 13th in AAV and 32nd in total value.
Needless to say, Makar’s first extension aged perfectly for Colorado, but it’s outdated for the current market, and it’s about time the Avs footed the bill as Makar deserves.
SurveyHow long will Makar re-sign with the Avalanche for?
How long will Makar re-sign with the Avalanche for?
ALREADY VOTED 0 PEOPLE
