Why Avalanche making Cale Makar the highest-paid player in NHL history was a no-brainer

The Colorado Avalanche made history recently with their new contract for Cale Makar. The Avalanche defenseman is set to earn $20.4 million per season, making him the highest-paid player in league history. His $163.2 million total contract value is also the highest handed out to any player.

This is a monumental contract for a few reasons. Makar is not making the max salary that a player can make under the current cap environment. The max contract is $20.8 million per season, which works out to a total value of $166.4 under an eight-year term. But he is the first player to command anywhere near that amount on a contract extension.

This is a new age for the National Hockey League. This is a sport that is only just getting used to players making $10 million in a single season. The league has worked hard to wiggle out of the flat cap era since the beginning of the 2020s. Now, general managers have cash to spend. Evidently, they are not afraid to do so.

Of course, when contracts this size come down the pike, they draw a ton of attention. Add in Makar’s status as one of the best defensemen in the NHL, and this deal had the hockey world abuzz. Many chimed in with their opinions and hot takes after news of this signing was confirmed.

Some criticized the amount of money the star defenseman received. However, the Avalanche made the right decision by paying up for Makar. For this franchise, it was an easy choice to make. In some ways, it was also the only choice to make.

The Avalanche could not afford to lose Cale Makar at any cost

In a team-oriented sport such as hockey, placing too much value on one single player can be dangerous. However, there are always exceptions to the rule. Cale Makar is one of those exceptions.

Admittedly, Makar’s defensive game does leave a little to be desired. Since the 2019-20 season, for example, the Avalanche star has the highest Goals Against Expected per 82 games in the NHL, according to HockeyStats.com. He isn’t a major liability, but his defensive game is not his strong suit.

Offensively, though, there are few defensemen like him in the league. He leads all defenders with at least 100 games played since 2019-20 in Goals Per 82 games and Points per 82 games. Few defensemen in the NHL can rival him offensively.

This is one of the main reasons the Avalanche needed to pay the big bucks. Colorado knows the value Makar brings is rivaled by only a few players. More importantly, there is no chance the Avalanche have what it would take to replace their franchise defenseman if he left in NHL Free Agency next summer.

Players who fit the offensive mold, such as Evan Bouchard or Zach Werenski, are unattainable. Potential trade targets like Adam Fox would be well out of the price range for the Avalanche. More defensive options, such as Moritz Seider, are also simply unattainable.

The Avalanche could have made a play for Quinn Hughes in NHL Free Agency next summer. But if they were to do that, they would likely need to pay the max for a shorter-term contract. The NHL is lowering contract term limits from eight years on a contract extension to seven years in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement. Free-agent contracts would be capped at six years.

This isn’t to mention the cost, either. The maximum contract rate will increase in 2027. This means that the Avalanche would need to pay more for Hughes and have less team control in the process.

Colorado knows what it has in Makar, and it knows the value he brings isn’t easily matched by other players. The Avalanche needed to keep their franchise defenseman around, as they had no chance of replacing him. If that meant making him the highest-paid player in NHL history, then that’s the cost of business.

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