Avs defenseman Cale Makar signs richest deal in NHL history at $163.2 million over 8 years
- Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar signed an eight-year, $163.2 million extension on Friday, making him the highest-paid player in NHL history.
- The deal surpasses Minnesota forward Kirill Kaprizov's eight-year, $136 million extension signed in September 2024, and has an annual average value of $20.4 million beginning in 2027-28.
- The 27-year-old Makar recorded 20 goals and 59 assists last season and finished second in Norris Trophy voting for the league's top defenseman, an award he has won twice in his career.
- Makar's contract runs through the 2034-35 season and will represent roughly 18% of the projected $113.5 million salary cap in 2027-28.
- The extension was a priority for Avalanche president of hockey operations and general manager Joe Sakic, who stated Makar would finish his career in Colorado.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar and the team agreed Friday to an eight-year, $163.2 million extension that makes him the highest-paid player in NHL history. The deal, confirmed by his agency Bartlett Hockey, surpasses the previous record held by Minnesota forward Kirill Kaprizov, who signed an eight-year, $136 million extension in September 2024. Makar's contract runs through the 2034-35 season with an annual average value of $20.4 million beginning in 2027-28.
The 27-year-old defenseman had a strong previous season with 20 goals and 59 assists, finishing second in Norris Trophy voting for the league's top defenseman. He has won the Norris Trophy twice during his career. Makar's new deal will represent approximately 18% of the projected $113.5 million salary cap in 2027-28 when the extension begins. The agreement sets a new benchmark that could influence upcoming negotiations for other elite defensemen and forwards, including Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Toronto's Auston Matthews, who are eligible for extensions next summer.
Avalanche president of hockey operations and general manager Joe Sakic prioritized securing Makar's long-term commitment, stating the defenseman would finish his career in Colorado. Sakic recently freed up salary cap space by trading forward Valeri Nichushkin to the Columbus Blue Jackets for draft picks. Makar, drafted fourth overall by Colorado in 2017 from the University of Massachusetts, was sidelined by an upper-body injury during the recent Western Conference Finals, where the Presidents' Trophy-winning Avalanche were swept by the Vegas Golden Knights.
雪崩队后卫凯尔·马卡签署NHL历史最高合同，8年1.632亿美元
科罗拉多雪崩队后卫凯尔·马卡周五与球队达成8年1.632亿美元的合同延期，使其成为NHL历史薪资最高的球员。该合同由其经纪公司巴特利特冰球公司确认，超越了明尼苏达前锋基里尔·卡普里佐夫在2024年9月签署的8年1.36亿美元合同纪录。马卡的合同至2034-35赛季，年平均薪资从2027-28赛季起为2040万美元。
27岁的后卫在上赛季表现出色，打入20球助攻59次，在诺里斯奖（联盟最佳后卫奖）投票中排名第二。他职业生涯已两次获得诺里斯奖。马卡的新合同将占2027-28赛季预计1.135亿美元薪资帽的约18%。该协议为其他顶级后卫和前锋设立了新的基准，可能影响埃德蒙顿的康纳·麦克戴维和多伦多的奥斯顿·马修斯等球员的后续谈判，他们有资格在明年夏天进行合同延期。
雪崩队冰球运营总裁兼总经理乔·萨基克优先考虑确保马卡的长期效力，声称这位后卫将在科罗拉多结束职业生涯。萨基克最近通过将前锋瓦列里·尼丘什金交易至哥伦布蓝衣队以换取选秀权来释放薪资空间。马卡在2017年以第四顺位被科罗拉多从马萨诸塞大学选中，在最近的西部决赛中因上身伤势缺阵，当时获得总统杯的雪崩队被拉斯维加斯金骑士队横扫。