Overview
- Colorado finalized Makar’s eight-year, $163.2 million extension that carries a $20.4 million AAV and was completed before the CBA reduced maximum extension length.
- Makar said he expects to be healthy and ready for training camp after an upper-body shoulder issue that cost him the first two games of the Western Conference Final.
- The deal was structured with strong player protections and heavy signing-bonus weighting, raising the short-term cap hit while aging into more team-friendly dollars as the cap rises.
- The large AAV will force Colorado to make roster and contract trade-offs in coming seasons and already has fantasy and salary-cap leagues recalibrating player valuations.
- Makar’s new benchmark is reshaping negotiations around elite defensemen, with Quinn Hughes expected to seek a major new deal and Colorado saying talks with Artturi Lehkonen may extend into the regular season.