DENVER — Cale Makar already knew where he wanted to spend the prime of his career.
Two days after signing an eight-year contract extension that will keep him with the Colorado Avalanche through the 2034-35 season, Makar sat alongside Joe Sakic at The Inverness Denver Hotel on Monday and reflected on a decision that, in many ways, never felt particularly complicated.
He wanted to stay.
The Avalanche wanted him to stay.
And after seven seasons in Colorado, Makar said the relationship he has built with the organization, his teammates and the community made committing to another eight years an easy choice.
“I’m very fortunate to be able to sign this deal and be here for the next long, long while,” Makar said.
The extension, which was announced Saturday, will make Makar the highest-paid player in NHL history on an annual basis. But when the 27-year-old spoke about the contract Monday, the conversation centered less on the size of the number and more on what those eight years represent.
Makar could have pursued a shorter contract and positioned himself for another major payday as the salary cap continues to climb. Instead, he wanted the security of knowing he would remain in Colorado — while giving the Avalanche the same clarity as they continue building their roster around him and Nathan MacKinnon.
“I think for myself and the team, it gives us a lot of clarity in the sense of the direction that we want to go,” Makar said.
That stability was important to Sakic, too.
The Avalanche’s president of hockey operations and general manager said the two sides began discussing the possibility of an extension shortly after the season. The process eventually picked up in July, after the draft and free agency, as the league’s rapidly escalating salary market began to take shape.
Still, Sakic said, the negotiation itself was relatively straightforward.
There was never much debate over the term.
Both sides wanted eight years.
For Colorado, securing Makar long term means one of the most important pieces of its future is no longer something the organization has to wonder about.
“He’s a generational player,” Sakic said. “Unreal to watch, fan favorite. To see what he does and what he can do on the ice is so special.”
Makar has already built a résumé few defensemen in NHL history can match. Since Colorado selected him fourth overall in the 2017 NHL Draft, he has won the Calder Trophy, two Norris Trophies and the Conn Smythe Trophy while helping the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022.
He has also become one of only three defensemen in NHL history to average at least a point per game over his career, joining Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey.
Yet Makar seemed more interested Monday in what comes next than in everything he has already accomplished.
He acknowledged how quickly the years have passed since Colorado drafted him and admitted it is strange to think about where he will be when the new contract expires.
“It’s crazy,” Makar said.
The expectations, naturally, will only grow with the contract.
Makar said he already puts plenty of pressure on himself to perform, regardless of what is written on his paycheck. The historic nature of the deal may add another layer from the outside, but he does not intend to let it change how he approaches the game.
If anything, he hopes it pushes him harder.
“I feel like I’m a guy that just puts a lot of pressure on myself to do well year in and year out,” Makar said. “For me, I’m actually kind of excited. I think it’s going to make me hopefully push myself even a little bit more.”
Now, the uncertainty is gone.
Makar is staying in Colorado. The Avalanche know what they have committed to him. And for the next eight years, the franchise can focus on the same question it has been chasing since Makar arrived in Denver:
How many more championships can they build around him?
