Cale Makar and Joe Sakic will speak publicly Monday for the first time since the Avalanche defenseman signed the largest contract in NHL history.
For the first time since Cale Makar put pen to paper on the largest contract in NHL history, the Colorado Avalanche superstar and the man who helped make it happen will have a chance to speak publicly about it.
Makar and Avalanche President of Hockey Operations/General Manager Joe Sakic will meet with the media Monday afternoon, just days after Colorado locked up its franchise defenseman to an eight-year, $163.2 million extension.
The media availability is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 31, in the Denver area.
There should be no shortage of questions.
Makar’s new contract carries a $20.4 million annual average value, making him the highest-paid player in NHL history by AAV. It also gives him the largest contract in league history in terms of total value.
The deal didn’t just reset the market for Makar. It completely changed the conversation around what elite defensemen can command.
Earlier this summer, Bowen Byram signed a six-year contract worth $12.5 million annually, briefly setting a new high-water mark for defensemen. Makar’s $20.4 million AAV is 63.2% higher.
For Makar, the contract is the latest milestone in a career that has already produced just about everything an NHL player could want. At 27, he has won the Calder Trophy, two Norris Trophies, a Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy.
He has also gone from being one of the most highly touted prospects in hockey to the player Colorado has built so much of its future around.
Sakic has been a key part of making sure that future remains in Colorado. Keeping Makar was always going to be one of the organization’s biggest priorities, and the new contract ensures the franchise’s most important player isn’t going anywhere for a long time.
Monday will be the first chance to hear directly from both Makar and Sakic since the agreement was reached.
For months, the biggest question surrounding Makar was how much his next contract would be worth.
Now we know the number.
The more interesting questions come next: Why did Makar choose to stay in Colorado? And what did it take for Sakic and the Avalanche to get the biggest contract in hockey history across the finish line?
