For everyone concerned about the lack of progress on the Cale Makar contract extension front, the latest update should provide plenty of reassurance.
In an August 24 piece in the Denver Post, Corey Masisak quoted Joe Sakic’s latest update on Makar’s contract situation.
And it’s one every Avalanche fan is going to love.
"I'm pretty confident that he'll be signed before the season starts. I'm not worried about it. I don't think Cale is worried about it. The dialogue has been great. When there's an agreement, we'll be glad to announce it. Hopefully, something will be done before the start of training camp."
So, if no one is losing any sleep over the situation, it could just mean that the lack of movement has stemmed from the summer recess.
Since training camp is right around the corner, there could be an announcement coming much sooner than expected.
That’s great news. The uncertainty surrounding Makar is not to be taken lightly. The potential for disaster is there, especially when considering the various factors we’ve discussed throughout the summer.
As for the specific details of a potential extension, Sakic did not get into that. It shouldn’t be surprising, as neither Sakic nor the Avalanche are going to reveal their hand before a deal is finalized.
Avalanche not worried about September 16 deadline
Another significant talking point this summer has been the looming September 16 deadline. As we outlined in a previous piece, that’s the day when the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is set to go into effect.
While the new CBA will certainly change the dynamics of potential contracts, Sakic doesn’t seem worried in the least bit about it.
"No, not really worried about (that deadline)," Sakic said. "I think when there's a deal announced or signed and agreed to, both sides will be comfortable with whatever term it is."
It seems that whatever does eventually happen will be a middle-ground solution for everyone. If that’s the case, it’s the sort of thing the Avalanche and Makar’s camp need. The last thing anyone wants is for there to be any animosity stemming from what could be seen as a bad deal.
When could a Makar extension actually happen?
As for when a Makar extension could actually happen, well, that’s a very tough question to answer. While Sakic narrowed the timeframe down significantly, it’s still too vague to actually pinpoint when it could happen.
Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter when it happens, as long as it does. Ideally, this situation would be resolved before the beginning of the season. As we’ve outlined before, uncertainty surrounding Makar could lead to a needless distraction.
Based on Sakic’s comments this past weekend, there’s plenty of reason for optimism. The Avalanche will head into the 2026-27 season with the NHL’s best defenseman and the second-best center (at least that’s what NHL Network thinks).
With that sort of core, it’s not hard to be bullish on the Avalanche. Let’s just hope it translates into another successful Stanley Cup run.
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