Avalanche Sign Cale Makar to Record $163.2 Million Extension

The Colorado Avalanche announced on Friday, August 28, 2026, that they have signed star defenseman Cale Makar to an eight-year contract extension worth $163.2 million, making him the highest-paid player in NHL history. The deal carries an average annual value of $20.4 million, the first time any player has surpassed the $20 million annual mark.

Makar, 27, is entering the final season of his current six-year, $54 million contract. The new extension will begin with the 2027-28 season and keep him with the Avalanche through the 2034-35 campaign. "I couldn't be more excited to continue my journey here with the Avalanche in this amazing city of Denver," Makar said in a statement released by the team. "Here's to another, hopefully amazing, nine years."

The agreement caps a summer of record-setting contracts in the NHL, with the league's salary cap rising to $104 million for the 2026-27 season. Makar's deal surpasses the previous record set just weeks earlier by San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, who signed a five-year, $94 million extension with an $18.8 million AAV. Before that, Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson briefly held the mark with an $18 million AAV, and Minnesota Wild...