Avalanche’s Cale Makar made highest-paid NHL player with new contract

The Colorado Avalanche signed Cale Makar to an eight-year contract through 2034-35 for $20.4M AAV.

Makar becomes the highest paid player in the NHL ahead of San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini. The young forward signed a five-year deal worth $18.8M AAV this offseason.

The 28-year-old defenseman is in the last year of a six-year contract worth $54M at $9M AAV.

“Today is an exciting day for the Avalanche organization and our wonderful fans,” GM and president of hockey operations Joe Sakic said. “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.”

Makar was initially signed for three years for $2.64M with an AAV of $2.59M and a $881K cap hit after being drafted fourth overall by the Avs in 2017.

Sakic said he planned on having Makar signed by this summer. Recently, Sakic said the organization and Makar were close to finalizing a deal before training camp.

“Cale is going to finish his career here,” Sakic said in July. “We’ve already talked to his agent, so we’re confident that something’s going to go get worked out at some point. I mean, he’s got another year, but this summer we expect to have him signed.”