Colorado Avalanche
Avalanche and Cale Makar Sign the Biggest Deal In NHL History
Cale Makar has signed an eight-year extension with te Colorado Avalanche. It’s worth $20.4 million per season.
Cale Makar has signed the largest contract in NHL history. The deal is an eight-year extension with an AAV of 20.4 million. Although the deal was rumored to be close, there were questions about the term. The Avalanche and the defenseman decided to get it done ahead of the September 16th deadline, when eight-year extensions were no longer an option.
Makar is the first $20 million-per-year player in the NHL. The deal is worth a record total of $163.2 million.
Makar, 27, is coming off another outstanding season, recording 20 goals and 59 assists for 79 points in 75 games. The performance earned him a spot as a Norris Trophy finalist for the sixth consecutive year. He averaged 24:51 of ice time per game and led the Avalanche with 118 blocked shots.
The two-time Norris Trophy winner also has a Conn Smythe Trophy on his resume, taking home playoff MVP honors during Colorado’s 2022 Stanley Cup championship run.
Fans are chiming in, many of them saying this a massive number and asking where the team-friendly discount is. Some argue this will be a discount in years three or four and beyond. As the salary cap continues to climb, it won’t take long for Makar to be surpassed as the league’s highest-paid player.
The deal is heavily front-loaded with a massive amount allocated to signing bonuses. Puckpedia is reporting the full financial details of the contract:
- 2027-28: $4MM base, $16.8MM signing bonus ($20.8MM)
- 2028-29: $4MM base, $16.8MM signing bonus ($20.8MM)
- 2029-30: $4MM base, $16.8MM signing bonus ($20.8MM)
- 2030-31: $12.8MM base, $8MM signing bonus ($20.8MM)
- 2031-32: $4MM base, $16.8MM signing bonus ($20.8MM)
- 2032-33: $3MM base, $16.8MM signing bonus ($19.8MM)
- 2033-34: $2.8MM base, $16.8MM signing bonus ($19.6MM)
- 2034-35: $1MM base, $18.8MM signing bonus ($19.8MM)
What Does the Makar Deal Mean for Quinn Hughes?
What comes next likely has a lot to do with another NHL defenseman in Quinn Hughes. He was probably waiting to see where the Makar deal landed. While it is expected that Hughes will sign a short-term deal than Makar did, if he signs long-term, the AAV is now essentially set at around $20 million.
More to come…
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