As the Avalanche approach the trade deadline, looking to add the right pieces to complete their Stanley Cup run, one name keeps popping up, despite the fact that the likelihood of him leaving anytime before the end of his career is about as unthinkable as Wayne Gretzky's points record being broken. Cale Makar, is in the second to last year of his contract and looks to command record setting numbers, impacting the size, and term of the Avs' trade targets more than what some may think.
Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland has the team set to have 42 million dollars in cap space in 2027, when Makar's current six year, 54 million dollar extension expires. Manning potentially the NHL's best top pairing with Devon Toews, Makar has led the Avalanche defensive effort and helped to keep the puck out of the Avs' zone to assist their +79 goal differential this year as arguably the best defenseman in the league. Makar could easily command double his current AAV if he keeps up current pace of play.
Makar, currently in his age X season has been putting together a season with Colorado that could has him leading the Norris Trophy race for the second year in a row. After winning the award last year with a career high 92 points with 30 goals and 62 assists in 80 games, the Canadian blueliner has 18 goals and 46 assists for 64 points with 22 games left in the season this season.
The numbers
The current highest defenseman contract by AAV in the NHL is Erik Karlsson at 11.5 million for seven years. Makar is far and away a better defenseman, and his point totals look more like a forward than a traditional blueliner. He currently sits 22nd for the seasons points leaderboard between Tage Thompson and Jake Guentzel, both of whom are forwards, with contracts with a similar AAV to Makar.
Meanwhile, Kirill Kaprizov set a record last year with his eight year, 146 million dollar extension with a 17 million dollar AAV.
Makar has only 11 less points than Kaprizov this season, and his primary positional responsibilities are stopping other players from getting goals, unlike the young Russian winger.
Makar certainly wouldn't be out of place asking for a similar AAV to Kaprizov as he is one of Colorado's franchise faces and the current rumor mill is turning out numbers in the 15-19 million dollar range. That means the Avalanche would be looking more in the neighborhood of 20 million dollars in cap space in 2027 and that's without any other deals, or next year's trade deadline being addressed before then. Thankfully the Avalanche have set most of their contracts to expire after the 2028-29 season, but the elephant in the room is clearly Makar's extension next year.
For now
The Avs have made moves this trade deadline for players who are either rentals, or have their term expire the same year as Makar's current deal. Part of why the Avalanche could not or would not make a move for Nazem Kadri is because they could not afford to take on his extended cap hit at eight million for three more years. Brett Kulak and Nicolas Roy are both only signed through the next two years, and the most recent re-signing by MacFarland for Sam Malinski has the contract set to expire in 2029.
The Avalanche will have a lot to think on as they hope to hold together a roster that has had the best record in the NHL regular season so far, and looks to be the odds-on favorite to win it all this year. As the trade deadline comes to a close, who the Avs do add, and especially who they do not add, will determine how they approach negotiations with the league's best defenseman.