Cale Makar Contract Extension Makes NHL History

The Cale Makar contract extension is the richest deal the NHL has ever seen: eight years, $163.2 million.

And a $20.4 million average annual value no player in league history has ever touched.

The Colorado Avalanche announced it Friday. And the moment the ink dried, the best defenseman on the planet became the NHL's first $20 million man.

Pause on what just happened.

The pay record in a league built around superstar scorers did not go to a 50-goal winger or a franchise center. It went to a defenseman. ESPN says the extension "will make him the highest-paid player in NHL history." The blue liner who runs Colorado's entire attack from the back end is now set to out-earn every player who has ever laced them up. That's the story here, and it changes how every front office will price elite defense.

Cale Makar contract extension by the numbers

The structure is as aggressive as the total. The 27-year-old defenseman signed for eight years and $163.2 million, with the new money starting in 2027-28 once his current six-year, $54 million contract runs out, USA Today reports. The deal runs through the 2034-35 season, and cap tracking shows a full no-move clause the entire way.

Field Level Media framed the landmark cleanly. Makar is the first player in NHL history to earn more than $20 million per year.

And he'll be paid $20.4 million per season through the 2034-35 campaign.

One detail matters more than fans realize. This was an extension, not a free agency rescue. The Avalanche announced it as an eight-year extension through 2034-35, meaning Colorado never let its franchise cornerstone get within sight of the open market.

How much does Cale Makar make?

The short answer: more than anyone, ever. His $20.4 million cap hit is the highest in NHL history, per The Score. And the comparisons show how far he cleared the field.

The previous AAV record belonged to Macklin Celebrini, whose five-year, $94 million extension with San Jose carried an $18.8 million hit after he signed on July 29. Makar beat that by $1.6 million a year. Among defensemen, the old mark was Erik Karlsson at $11.5 million. Makar cleared it by nearly $9 million a season. On total value, he passed Kirill Kaprizov's $136 million deal in Minnesota by more than $27 million.

Here's the wild one. ESPN noted the max any player could sign for, based on his share of the salary cap, was $20.8 million. Makar came in $400,000 under the ceiling. And remember, he was entering the final year of a deal paying $9 million a season. That old contract was one of the best bargains in the sport. The bargain era in Colorado is over.

Why the Avalanche paid a defenseman first

Because the resume demanded it. Since entering the league in 2019-20, Makar leads all NHL defensemen with 507 points, NHL.com notes. He owns two Norris Trophies, in 2022 and 2025, plus a Conn Smythe and a Stanley Cup in 2022. The league's own coverage points out he joined Bobby Orr as the only players to be a Norris finalist at least six times in their first seven seasons.

That's the organization he keeps, and that's why the number makes sense.

You do not let a player like that test the market, ever. The deal keeps Makar in Colorado through his age-35 and age-36 seasons, which multiple outlets read as the organization's plan for him to finish his career an Avalanche.

The risk is real, though. This contract bets that a defenseman who wins on skating and anticipation ages gracefully into his mid-30s. If the legs fade in the back half of the deal, a $20.4 million hit becomes an anchor. If Makar keeps playing at a Norris level, it looks cheap the second the cap jumps again.

Is the Makar contract extension worth it?

On today's production, it isn't close. The two-time Norris winner is 27 and has been the most dominant non-goalie in hockey on most nights for years.

The real question is the back half. When the money starts in 2027-28, Makar will count for close to the maximum share of the salary cap the CBA allows. Building a contender around that hit means Colorado needs cheap young talent flowing in constantly. That's the puzzle to watch, not the signing itself.

So the NHL has its first $20 million man, and he's a defenseman in burgundy and blue through 2034-35.

Was Colorado right to hand a blue liner the biggest contract in league history?

Check the roster in 2027-28 and see if you still have to ask.