The Cale Makar extension has to be the most pressing item on the Colorado Avalanche’s offseason docket. The last thing the organization will want is to head into training camp this fall with the uncertainty of Makar’s next contract hanging over the team.
In fact, I would dare say that if the Avalanche can’t extend Makar this offseason, trade chatter will pick up once training camp rolls around.
Dylan Larkin and Quinn Hughes proved that anyone can go at any time. Hughes informed the Vancouver Canucks he wouldn’t re-sign, and, well, a trade happened a couple of weeks later.
As for Larkin, despite being under contract for several more seasons, the 29-year-old asked out. The Red Wings will still need to honor that trade. But the point here is that trades that might have seemed unimaginable at some point can happen.
That said, Joe Sakic could very well be the reason Makar plays ball and extends this summer. It’s not that former GM Chris MacFarland wouldn’t have been able to handle the situation. After all, he engineered the Nathan MacKinnon extension.
But that deal came at a different time in a different context. When MacKinnon signed his extension, the NHL was still coming to grips with the flat-cap reality. MacKinnon managed a then-record deal, one that looks like a drop in the bucket considering his production and the going rate for other stars.
And that’s where Makar’s extension could break the market. Some pundits have estimated that Makar could fetch as much as $18 million AAV. While he’s worth it, that cap hit could have untold ramifications on the Avalanche’s ability to compete.
Hence, having Sakic be the point man on this negotiation bodes well for the Avalanche. The familiarity there could help the organization secure a favorable deal for all sides.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Makar agree to a two or three-year extension worth something in between MacKinnon and Martin Necas’ cap hit. For Makar, it’s a good idea. He can get paid now and revisit this contract in three years when the cap ceiling is even higher.
Meanwhile, Makar wouldn’t shackle the Avalanche with his contract. Makar would give the Avs a chance to continue stocking up on pieces to remain competitive moving forward.
Let’s see what happens in the coming weeks. It would be highly unlikely that an extension happens on July 1. But then again, anything can happen in the NHL.
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