Cale Makar: Still No Sign of a Contract Extension

Mathis Therrien
Cale Makar: Still No Sign of a Contract Extension
Credit: X @TrendingSportsP

The NHL Network's list of the top 25 NHL defensemen—which delighted Montreal Canadiens fans with Lane Hutson's sixth-place ranking—once again placed Cale Makar at the top.

Indeed, the Colorado Avalanche defenseman is still rated as the best defenseman in the NHL—and for good reason.

Makar is an unparalleled player, and let's just say that his injury during the playoffs was the main reason behind the Avalanche's elimination by the Vegas Golden Knights in the conference finals.

In short, Colorado's No. 8 is an outstanding defenseman, and he therefore deserves a hefty payday on his next contract—especially considering he's currently earning just $9 million a year.

In fact, his contract is set to expire at the end of next season, which means he's been eligible to sign a contract extension since July 1.

But for now, there's no news on this front.

It's not a big deal, given that the Avalanche still has a year to re-sign Makar, but still, the fact that the situation hasn't moved at all—and that we're not hearing anything about it—may raise some questions.

Elliotte Friedman actually brought up the issue of contract length during one of the latest episodes of NHL Tonight.

The Avalanche has one month left—until September 15—to sign an eight-year contract with Makar; otherwise, after that date, the maximum contract length will be limited to seven years.

Joe Sakic remains confident that he will finalize a deal with Makar this summer, having spoken with the defenseman's agent recently.

The former Colorado general manager also stated that he is confident the NHL's best defenseman will finish his career with the Avalanche.

In short, this is a situation to watch closely between now and September 15—or, if not, until next summer.


In Brief

– A goaltender to watch on the Habs' roster.

– Worth reading.

– Strange.

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