Cale Makar just signed a staggering contract extension with the Colorado Avalanche.
The 27-year-old defenseman, who is already a two-time Norris Trophy winner, signed an eight-year, $163.2 million extension, worth $20.4 million per season.
Makar’s new deal, which begins in 2027-28, will keep him under contract with Colorado through the 2034–35 season — the rest of his prime — and will end when he’s 36, heading into his age-37 NHL campaign.
“Today is an exciting day for the Avalanche organization and our wonderful fans,” Joe Sakic, the GM of the Avalanche, said in a release. “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.”
The contract will make Makar the highest-paid player in the NHL once it kicks in in 2027-28, jumping over Macklin Celebrini who inked a five-year, $94 million deal worth $18.8 million per season with the San Jose Sharks in late July. The deal is also historic in another way: it’s the NHL’s largest contract in total money.
Top 10 highest-paid NHL players in 2027-28
| Rank | Player | Team | 2027–28 Cap Hit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cale Makar | COL | $20.4 million |
| 2 | Macklin Celebrini | SJS | $18.8 million |
| 3 | Leo Carlsson | ANA | $18 million |
| 4 | Kirill Kaprizov | MIN | $17 million |
| 5 | Leon Draisaitl | EDM | $14 million |
| 6 | Jack Eichel | VGK | $13.5 million |
| 7 | Auston Matthews | TOR | $13.25 million |
| 8 | Nathan MacKinnon | COL | $12.604 million |
| 9 | Connor McDavid | EDM | $12.5 million |
| T-10 | Mitch Marner | VGK | $12 million |
| T-10 | Mikko Rantanen | DAL | $12 million |
Leo Carlsson previously became the league’s highest-paid player when the Anaheim Ducks matched an offer sheet worth $18.8 per year for five seasons. With neither Makar nor Celebrini’s extensions kicking in for another year, Carlsson will be the NHL’s top earner in 2026-27.
Per PuckPedia, Makar will receive a no-move clause and his $20.4 million cap hit is just short of $20.8M max allowed by the collective bargaining agreement.
Cale Makar 8-year contract details
| Season | Base Salary | Signing Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| 2027–28 | $4 million | $16.8 million |
| 2028–29 | $4 million | $16.8 million |
| 2029–30 | $4 million | $16.8 million |
| 2030–31 | $12.8 million | $8 million |
| 2031–32 | $4 million | $16.8 million |
| 2032–33 | $3 million | $16.8 million |
| 2033–34 | $2.8 million | $16.8 million |
| 2034–35 | $1 million | $18.8 million |
“I am so excited and humbled to continue to wear the Avalanche sweater and represent this incredible organization and community,” Makar said in a statement. “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.”
Not only has the 6-foot, 187-pound defenseman already been named the league’s best defender twice, but he’s also a Stanley Cup champion (2022), Conn Smythe Trophy winner (2022), and Calder Trophy winner as the league’s NHL rookie of the year in 2020.
Makar remained one of the NHL’s premier defensemen in 2025–26, recording 79 points (20g, 59a) in 75 games. He averaged a team-high 24:51 of ice time, finished with a plus-32 rating, and led Colorado with 118 blocked shots.
His performance earned him a second-place finish in Norris Trophy voting, marking the sixth consecutive season that Makar finished as a finalist for the award.
One of the best skaters in the league, Makar has scored 20 or more goals in three of his seven NHL seasons, posting a career-high 30 in 2024-25. He’s also tallied 86 or more points three different times in his career.
