Avalanche sign Makar to 6-year, $54M deal

The Colorado Avalanche have signed star defenseman Cale Makar to a six-year deal, the team announced Saturday.

Makar's contract carries an average annual value of $9 million, according to his agent, Brian Bartlett.

Makar, who was set to become a restricted free agent Wednesday, will only make $6.7 million in Year 6. Bartlett cited the potential end of the collective bargaining agreement in 2026 as a reason for the structure of the deal.

The 22-year-old was a finalist for the Norris Trophy last year. He became the only blue-liner to average a point per game in 2021 after recording 44 points through 44 contests.

Makar was a major key to the Avs' Presidents' Trophy-winning season, as Colorado controlled 61% of the shot attempts and 62% of the expected goals at five-on-five while he was on the ice.

Additionally, the 2017 fourth overall pick took home the 2020 Calder Trophy.

With Makar's deal in the books, Colorado is now projected to have just over $20 million in cap space, per CapFriendly. The Avs must also decide on the futures of Gabriel Landeskog and Philipp Grubauer, both of whom are pending unrestricted free agents.