Avalanche sign Makar to largest deal in NHL history
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar has signed an eight-year, $163.2 million contract, setting a new NHL record for total value and average annual salary. The deal, which begins in the 2027-2028 season, reflects his status as one of the league's top players.
Why it matters
This contract significantly shifts the financial landscape of the NHL and sets a new benchmark for elite player compensation.
The Colorado Avalanche have signed defenceman Cale Makar to the largest contract in NHL history. The new deal is for eight years and $163.2 million and carries a record-setting annual cap hit of $20.4 million. Macklin Celebrini briefly held the post of record for highest average annual value with a salary of $18.8 million on the five-year extension he signed last month. With those deals set to kick in next season, Anaheim Ducks centre Leo Carlsson is set to carry the NHL’s highest cap hit this season at $18 million on the five-year offer sheet he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers that was later matched. Makar has also blown past the record for the highest cap hit of any defenceman in NHL history, quickly surpassing the $12.5 million AAV Bowen Byram received from the Chicago Blackhawks in July on his six-year, $75 million extension.
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