Colorado Avalanche GM Jose Sakic has a unique opportunity to define two distinct eras for the franchise.
The first Sakic era culminated in the 2022 championship. That milestone marked the perfect time to pass the torch to his successor. But when that successor left this summer, Sakic found himself back in a familiar role. And while being a GM is like riding a bike for Sakic, there’s one thing that could completely define his second stint: The Cale Makar contract extension.
The last major contract extension the Avalanche dealt with was Nathan MacKinnon. Nate Dogg signed an eight-year deal in 2023, briefly making him the league’s highest-paid player.
Chris MacFarland officially handled that negotiation. But you can bet that Sakic was involved in every step of the process.
Fast forward a few seasons, and it’s time for Cale Makar’s big payday.
And it’s actually a good thing that Sakic is officially the point man in this negotiation.
The last time Makar and the Avalanche discussed a contract, it was in 2021. At that point, Makar was coming out of his entry-level deal. And Sakic inked him to a six-year deal worth $54 million.
That contract has aged beautifully. It was one of the masterstrokes of his first administration. So, why can’t another Makar contract come up roses like the first one did?
Times have changed since the first Makar contract extension
There is no question that times have changed since Makar and the Avalanche last discussed a contract extension.
For one thing, the 2021 Makar contract happened against the backdrop of the COVID flat-cap era. Still, Colorado inked Makar to an eye-popping deal even then. The results have more than justified the deal.
But the changing landscape in the rising-cap era has now fundamentally changed the thesis for both sides.
Now, we’re no longer talking about a $10 million or even $12 million deal.
We’re talking about a staggering amount that’s likely to take Makar’s next contract into the 16-20 million AAV range.
That’s not nothing. That’s why this situation adds an enormous layer of complexity that we haven’t really seen Colorado deal with before.
Sakic has little margin for error as Avalanche look to remain relevant
The bottom line is that Joe Sakic has a very thin margin for error. The Avalanche are looking to remain relevant, especially as the core begins to really age.
Therefore, the need for cap flexibility will become a significant challenge in this negotiation. Sure, the Avalanche can max out Makar. But doing so could lead to disastrous consequences when looking to round out a competitive roster.
That’s the crucial reason why Joe Sakic’s second tenure as GM, however long it lasts, will boil down to the way he can handle this situation.
Another home run, much like the first Makar extension, would cement Sakic’s legacy as one of the NHL’s all-time best executives. We know he can handle it. It’ll just be a matter of translating the vision into a practical path forward for everyone involved.
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