Overview
- The Avalanche and Cale Makar are negotiating an extension in early August with Makar unsigned beyond the 2026–27 season and GM Joe Sakic publicly saying he expects Makar to remain in Colorado.
- Recent elite deals have shifted the market: Leo Carlsson signed for an $18 million average annual value and Macklin Celebrini set a new AAV at $18.8 million, numbers Makar’s camp is using as comparators.
- Projections for an eight-year Makar extension vary by calculation but broadly place total value near $132 million to $136 million with some blueprints pushing the figure as high as roughly $151 million.
- Colorado must weigh paying a generational defenseman against preserving cap space for core players such as Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas and Gabriel Landeskog to keep the roster competitive.
- Teams and agents often take time on deals of this size, and the Sept. 16 deadline is the key near-term date to watch because signing before then preserves the option of an eight-year team contract.