Makar signs record 8-year, $163.2 million contract with Avalanche, worth $20.4M annually  

Cale Makar became the NHL's first $20 million man on Friday. 

The 27-year-old defenseman signed an eight-year, $163.2 million contract with the Colorado Avalanche. The deal, which begins next season, is worth $20.4 million annually and is the richest contract in NHL history. 

“It's been a lot in the last couple days,” Makar said at a press conference on Monday. “Even we were just talking in the hallway about how quick it kind of goes by, and to think that how old I'm going to be at the end of this is crazy. So, just got to take it year by year. But for me, ever since being drafted by the Avs and them giving me the opportunity to kind of come in here and for me to feel out the whole process of being a professional hockey player and the exceptional experience it's been since being in Denver (they’re) obviously all factors that played into my decision to want to be here long term. 

“I’m very fortunate to have an amazing group of guys and then obviously amazing group of ownership and management as well that trusts us and gives us opportunity every year to succeed. It's definitely an amazing place to play. Very fortunate to be able to sign this deal and be here for the next long while.”

The AAV surpassed that of the five year, $94 million contract ($18.8 million AAV) center Macklin Celebrini signed with the San Jose Sharks on July 29.

“It's huge for the organization, for the city,” Avalanche president of hockey operations Joe Sakic said. “Obviously, we're really excited. We have nine more years of Cale here in an Avs jersey, and that was the goal the entire time. He's a generational player, unreal to watch, a fan favorite. 

“To see what he does or what he can do on the ice, it's so special, and to have him locked in here for the next nine years, it's just a great thing for the entire city of Denver, the state of Colorado. … As a fan of the game, to get opportunity to watch Cale out there on the ice for the next nine years is pretty incredible.”

Makar had been eligible to sign a new deal since July 1, though Sakic had been steadfast an agreement would be in place before the start of the season next month.

“A lot of guys are going mid-term, and we just decided we wanted to do the full eight-year term,” Sakic said. “It's nice to know that. We saw last year (Kirll) Kaprizov got ($17 million per from the Minnesota Wild), and everybody's like, ‘Wow.’

“As the (salary) cap rises, there's other guys that are going to come in probably when the cap goes up, probably a little bit higher. It was nice for us to have Cale show us with the trust in the organization, and wanting to give the full eight years was huge for us.”

Makar was third among NHL defensemen last season with 79 points (20 goals, 59 assists) in 75 games. He finished second to Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets in voting for the Norris Trophy, voted annually to as the League's top defenseman.

A two-time Norris Trophy winner (2022, 2025), Makar joined Bobby Orr (seven) as the only players to be a finalist for the award at least six times in his first seven NHL seasons. It was also was the third straight season he has scored at least 20 goals, making him the first defenseman to accomplish the feat since Phil Housley (six straight) and Al MacInnis in 1992.

Selected by Colorado with the No. 4 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, Makar is the all-time leader among Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques defensemen in goals (136), assists (371) and points (507) in 470 games over his seven seasons in the League.

Makar got his 500th NHL point last season in his 467th game, reaching the milestone with an assist in a 4-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on March 28. He required the fourth-fewest games at the position to reach the mark in NHL history, behind only Orr (396 games), Paul Coffey (422 games) and Denis Potvin (465 games).

Makar helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022, when he was voted the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, after he had 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) in 20 games. He also won the Calder Trophy, voted as NHL rookie of the year, in 2019-20. He had five points (four goals, one assist) in 11 playoff games last season. He sustained an upper-body injury during the Western Conference Second Round against the Minnesota Wild that kept him out of the first two games of the Western Final against the Vegas Golden Knights. He returned for Games 3 and 4 but did not have a point for Colorado, which was swept in that series.

“I feel like I'm a guy that just puts a lot of pressure on myself to do well year in, year out,” Makar said. “No doubt outside pressure could add things, but at the same time it's kind of all in my head. You can't really worry about that stuff too much. For me, I'm kind of excited, actually.  I think it's going to make me even hopefully push myself even a little bit more. I don't know. I feel like that's the best way I can answer that.”

Colorado opens the season at home against the Los Angeles Kings on Sept. 30 (10 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT).

NHL.com independent correspondent Ryan Boulding contributed to this report