NHL Rumours: Cale Makar and His Looming Contract Extension

It’s time for some more NHL rumours. The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are almost here. However, the hot stove chatter won’t be slowing down any time soon. Teams are already thinking about the future and the offseason. General managers are already thinking about how to keep their important players in the fold. However, it’s a delicate dance to keep that talent and to battle against the salary cap.

One team that could get ahead of things is the Colorado Avalanche. This edition of NHL rumours deals with Cale Makar and Colorado’s urgency to keep him.

All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.

NHL Rumours

Cale Makar and His Looming Contract Extension for the Colorado Avalanche

Rumour: Insider Chris Johnston discussed what the future may hold for Makar and the Avalanche on The Chris Johnston Sh0w.

Analysis: Makar’s contract comes up at the end of the 2026-27 season. However, Colorado executives have been planning for this moment for many seasons. The two-time Norris Trophy winner is currently making $9 million per season. However, there’s no doubt that the 2019 Hobey Baker Award winner will be getting a massive raise.

Avalanche General Manager Chris MacFarland has been making sure that the team has enough space to extend Makar. One of the reasons that Mikko Rantanen was originally traded to the Carolina Hurricanes was to account for Makar’s extension. There’s no doubt that the Avs will have to slot a larger number than $9 million for the next deal.

It seems that Colorado will have plenty of space to Makar one of the highest paid defencemen in the league. The former University of Massachusetts product has been a bargain at $9 million, and he’ll get a chance to cash in with a massive deal.

Makar is eligible to sign a contract extension on July 1 via the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. Any player entering the last year of their deal can re-sign to take themselves off the market.

What It Means

Johnston goes into more depth on what may happen with the next contract. The insider adds that Makar and the Avalanche will come to an agreement at some point over the summer. Johnston believes that Makar doesn’t have much reason to leave the club. He also feels that Makar really doesn’t want to test the market.

Makar is one of the league’s top defenders and he’s on a very talented team that is a perennial Stanley Cup contender. He’ll be 28 in the 2026-27 offseason if he tests the free agent market and he’ll have plenty left in the tank for his next deal. However, Makar seems to be content being part of a winning organization.

The Avalanche do have some massive contracts on the books for players like Nathan MacKinnon, Brock Nelson, Devon Toews, and others. However, the Avs can pretty much give Makar whatever number he wants to keep playing in the Rocky Mountains.

Colorado has seemingly prepared well for the future and is ready to do right by their superstar blueliner. The Avalanche will have to figure out other deals, but the rising cap should help get a deal done at some point.