Cale Makar, Avalanche agree to 8-year, $163.2 million contract extension

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Cale Makar and the Colorado Avalanche have agreed to a eight-year, $163.2 million extension, his agency announced Friday. The deal will be worth $20.4 million in annual average value; Makar becomes the first player in the NHL to sign a deal exceeding $20 million in annual salary, via insider Frank Seravalli.

Makar is entering the final year of a six-year, $54 million extension he signed in July 2021. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Getting a deal done now allows Makar and the Avalanche to ensure the contract is for eight years. Once the NHL’s new CBA goes into effect on Sept. 15, maximum contract lengths cannot exceed seven years.

The Avalanche confirmed the deal with a video of Makar, in which he said he “couldn’t be more excited” to stay in Colorado for the long-term future.

A historic day 👀 pic.twitter.com/trOBwCd8EH

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) August 28, 2026

Makar, 27, is entering his eighth NHL season, all with Colorado. Since breaking into the league during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the UMass product has won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, been named to the NHL First All-Star Team four times, won two Norris Trophies as the NHL’s best defenseman, and helped the Avalanche to the 2021-22 Stanley Cup title, where he was also named postseason MVP.

He is one of two players — Hall of Famer Bobby Orr being the other — to be a finalist for the Norris Trophy at least six times in his first seven seasons. Only 14 players, Makar included, have ever won multiple Norris Trophies.

The Calgary native has also found success on the internationally stage. He has helped Canada to gold at the 2018 World Junior Championship, 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and was part of the silver medal winning team at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

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p style=”text-align:left”>Over Makar’s seven NHL seasons, he’s reached 20 goals four times and hit the 90-point mark twice. He is already the franchise’s all-time leader among defensemen in goals (136), assists (371) and points (507).