The Cale Makar extension is done, now Avalanche can officially focus on the 2026-27 season

The Colorado Avalanche have agreed to terms on a blockbuster extension with star defenseman Cale Makar. The news broke earlier Thursday morning that the two sides were getting close, and now it is official.

The Avalanche and the two-time Norris Trophy winner agreed to an eight-year deal carrying a $20.4 million cap hit. It's worth noting that the deal represents 18% of the Avs' cap allocation for next season, just shy of the maximum 20%.

With Makar being 27-years-old as of the signing and his birthday falling in October, he will turn 28 years old during the final year of the extension. That puts him in line to be, as they say, an Avalanche for life. It was the only call the Avalanche could make realistically.
Makar is a Norris-caliber defenseman, a franchise cornerstone in his prime. He is one of the best offensive defensemen in NHL history. He will be key to helping the Avalanche address their few issues, such as the power play, in 2026-27.

Even if he still has some gas left in the tank at the end of the deal, I would think that Makar would still sign another deal to remain in the only NHL city he’s known since becoming the fourth overall draft pick in 2017.

Colorado Avalanche have sights set for big things with Cale Makar

While Makar could have left Colorado to receive a big payday from another team, he is choosing to stay and help battle for another chance at the Stanley Cup. It seems like players in various sports tend to go somewhere else once they hoist their sport’s trophy, but I think the timing here is important.

Some people have suggested that the Avalanche’s window of opportunity is nearing an end. I don’t buy into that simply because they have Makar and MacKinnon. Colorado has proven that they can be a winning organization. Getting it done in the regular season was a lot of fun to see, and beating the Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Wild in the 2025-26 postseason was a blast. They just have to take that next step against a tough team such as Vegas. Makar will be a big part of that objective.

The Avalanche had a taste of what it was like to be the best regular-season team last year, earning the Presidents’ Trophy by winning the most games in the league. Historically, however, the team that wins that specific trophy rarely goes on to hoist the one that truly matters—the Stanley Cup.

I’m a believer that there isn’t some sort of jinx there and that they could have won had they played much better in the Western Conference Finals against the Vegas Golden Knights. The thought of a jinx is just what people think because of the history. It’s a fun topic, but perhaps a bit silly.

One thing is for sure, though. The Avalanche are a better team with Makar than without him. If they win the Presidents’ Trophy again in 2026-27, they’ll look to take the next step towards the Stanley Cup Final, and Makar, their cornerstone defenseman, will be a big part of that.

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