Cale Makar has become the first $20-million player in NHL history. The Colorado Avalanche signed the defenseman to an eight-year, $163.2-million extension on Friday, according to NHL.com. The contract begins next season and carries a $20.4-million annual value.
The agreement moves the league’s salary ceiling sharply upward. Makar’s annual figure surpasses the $18.8 million attached to Macklin Celebrini’s five-year San Jose contract, while the eight-year term keeps Colorado’s defining defenseman in place through the heart of his career. Makar, 27, has already won two Norris Trophies, a Conn Smythe Trophy and the Stanley Cup.
The contract is also a marker for everyone negotiating behind him. Elite defensemen such as Quinn Hughes and Zach Werenski now have a new comparison, and Colorado must build around a record cap commitment as league revenues and the salary cap continue to rise. The Avalanche settled their most important long-term question. The consequences of the number will be felt well beyond Denver.
Read the complete report
This page is an original Sporting Page summary. The reporting remains with NHL.com and writer NHL.com.
Read at NHL.com