A major storyline to follow this upcoming summer will be Cale Makar’s availability for a contract extension. Currently in the second-to-last year of his six-year, $54 million contract, which carries a cap hit of $9 million per season, his upcoming extension could break records based on his performance during his current contract. Sportsnet Insider and Co-Host of the “32 Thoughts The Podcast” Elliotte Friedman discussed on “FAN Hockey Show [https://www.sportsnet.ca/590/the-fan-hockey-show/]” about how the Avalanche are preparing for this upcoming extension and how it could play out. “Elliotte Friedman: Re Cale Makar extension: Colorado's been preparing for this, that's one of the reasons the Rantanen situation unfolded the way it did, is because they were looking into the future at Makar's money"- FAN Hockey Show (9/30/25) [https://x.com/NHLRumourReport/status/1974844560678477991] Most notable of this topic is the recent issues the Avalanche had with trying to extend Mikko Rantanen. With a plethora of news and rumors surrounding his camp, the Avalanche’s management and more discussed the “internal cap”, how much the Avalanche was willing to sign him, and how much Rantanen and his camp were asking. This ultimately led to him being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes [https://thehockeynews.com/news/reports-hurricanes-trading-for-mikko-rantanen-taylor-hall-from-avalanche-blackhawks] for a package centered around Martin Necas. Rantanen was moved once again from the Hurricanes to the Dallas Stars [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/nhl-trade-deadline-mikko-rantanen-shoots-for-the-dallas-stars-with-blockbuster-move-extension] for a package centered around Logan Stankoven. Ideally extending Rantanen would have been great for the organization but recently this team has struggled getting their depth lines to contribute offensively, feeling like if the top-line doesn’t contribute night in and night out, they struggle to get anything else going, thats why it was essential to use the pieces and the cap space from the Rantanen trade to flush out a deep roster. Have the Colorado Avalanche Improved Their Bottom-Six Lineup Enough? [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/c711341f-7c08-4083-853b-8d51161b3cba.webp] Have the Colorado Avalanche Improved Their Bottom-Six Lineup Enough? With Brock Nelson signing his extension this summer, the top six is basically set to start the season and, on paper, has looked its best since the 2021-22 championship season. However, is the bottom six deep enough? There haven't been any signings in free agency; instead, there have been re-signings. With <a href="https://www.nhl.com/news/logan-oconnor-injury-status-update-june-6-2025">Logan O’Connor out to start the season</a>, does the bottom-six need more work to be done before the season begins? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/players/have-the-colorado-avalanche-improved-their-bottom-six-lineup-enough] An issue that needs to be addressed before Makar is available for an extension is Martin Necas, whom they acquired from the Hurricanes in the Rantanen deal. In his final season with a $6 million cap hit, what is his asking price? With the cap continuing to rise significantly over the coming seasons, there will be more room for Makar's new contract. However, going from a $6 million cap hit to a $9-$10+ cap hit will have a greater impact on the team, considering how much Makar will be eligible for. The biggest question is what Makar is going to ask for and how high the Avalanche are willing to go. In his four years under his current contract, he has scored 96 goals and recorded 238 assists for 334 points, finishing as a finalist in Norris Trophy voting all four years and winning it twice, making four all-star appearances, and earning two All-NHL First-Team selections. Top Colorado Avalanche Prospects to Watch in 2025–26 [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/acb9a10f-c7c5-4442-bfe4-21f500640ea1.jpeg] Top Colorado Avalanche Prospects to Watch in 2025–26 With the 2025-26 NHL season shortly underway, some minor leagues have already started for some Colorado Avalanche prospects. Their prospect pool might not be as "promising" with the recent regular season success of the Avalanche and drafting at the end of rounds, and them trading away their remaining prospects and draft picks to try and win another Stanley Cup, <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/nhl-prospect-pool-overview-25-26-yes-the-colorado-avalanche-actually-have-one">they still have some key names</a> you should keep an eye on this season. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/players/top-colorado-avalanche-prospects-to-watch-in-2025-26] Colorado Avalanche Stalwart Erik Johnson Announces Retirement [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/0ffeeb58-d707-47e8-818a-3c8f67127f86.jpeg] Colorado Avalanche Stalwart Erik Johnson Announces Retirement Announced on Wednesday, October 1, long time tenured defenseman Erik Johnson has announced his retirement from the NHL [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/latest-news/colorado-avalanche-stalwart-erik-johnson-announces-retirement]
