Joe Sakic sounds increasingly confident that the Colorado Avalanche will get Cale Makar signed to a long-term extension before the 2026-27 season begins.
There doesn't appear to be much panic inside the Colorado Avalanche organization when it comes to Cale Makar's next contract.
In fact, if Joe Sakic's latest comments are any indication, the Avalanche are expecting to have their franchise defenseman signed and locked in before the puck drops on the 2026-27 season.
Sakic offered his most confident update yet on Sunday while speaking before taking the ice in the University of Denver alumni game at Magness Arena.
“We continue talking,” Sakic told reporters. “I'm pretty confident that he'll be signed before the season starts.”
For Avalanche fans, that might be the most encouraging update yet surrounding the biggest piece of unfinished business facing the organization.
Makar is entering the final season of the six-year contract he signed with Colorado in 2021, carrying a $9 million salary-cap hit. He became eligible to sign an extension on July 1, and while an agreement has yet to be announced, Sakic made it clear that negotiations continue to move in the right direction.
There also doesn't appear to be much concern from either side.
Sakic said the conversations have been productive, and that once the two sides reach an agreement, it will be announced. He also expressed hope that a deal can be finalized before training camp.
If the Avalanche can get Makar signed before the middle of September, Colorado would still be able to offer the superstar defenseman the maximum eight-year term. Once the NHL's new contract rules take effect, the longest deal available would drop to seven years.
For a player like Makar, an extra year is hardly insignificant.
The 27-year-old has established himself as one of the defining players of his generation and arguably the most valuable defenseman in hockey. Since arriving in the NHL full-time during the 2019-20 season, Makar has put together a résumé that already includes a Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe Trophy, two Norris Trophies and six All-Star selections.
He has also been named a Norris finalist in each of the last six seasons.
And the production has been equally remarkable.
Through 470 NHL games, Makar has recorded 507 points — a staggering total for a defenseman and another reminder that Colorado isn’t simply negotiating with a good player entering his prime. It’s negotiating with one of the most productive defensemen the NHL has ever seen at this stage of his career. For comparison, Quinn Hughes — a Norris Trophy winner, Olympic gold medalist and one of the league’s premier defensemen — has recorded 485 points through 507 games. Makar has reached 500 points in 37 fewer games, underscoring just how rare his offensive production has been.
And the market for elite defensemen is only getting more expensive. Bo Byram, while not generally viewed in the same tier as Makar, Hughes or the NHL’s other elite No. 1 defensemen, recently landed a six-year, $75 million extension from the Chicago Blackhawks. Meanwhile, Erik Karlsson is set to lead all NHL defensemen with an $11.5 million cap hit next season. The numbers make one thing clear: If Colorado wants to keep Makar long term, the Avalanche are going to have to pay at the very top of the market.
Makar's next deal could push the market even further or perhaps the Avalanche are cooking up a team-friendly deal.
Colorado has quietly created more room to maneuver as it prepares for Makar's next contract. Between moving Valeri Nichushkin, Ross Colton and Jack Drury, the Avalanche have cleared significant salary from the books, giving the front office additional flexibility as negotiations continue with their franchise player.
And while the exact numbers remain unknown, Sakic has never sounded particularly worried about where these negotiations are headed.
At the Avalanche's end-of-season press conference, which was also attended by Josh Kroenke, Sakic was asked about Makar's future and made his intentions crystal clear.
He said Makar would finish his career in Denver.
Sunday's comments suggest that confidence hasn't changed. But as we've reported at The Hockey News, these massive, long-term extensions don't come together overnight. Negotiations take time, so until the deal is officially done, it's probably best to take everything you hear — and everything you feel — with a grain of salt.
The Avalanche still have work to do, and until Makar's signature is officially on the contract, there will be questions about the numbers, the term and exactly how Colorado will structure the deal.
But Sakic's message was clear.
The conversations are continuing. Both sides appear comfortable with where things stand.
And if the Avalanche president and general manager is right, one of the most important contracts in franchise history could be taken care of before Colorado opens another season with Stanley Cup expectations.
