Michigan men's basketball freshman Brandon McCoy Jr., one of the top-ranked players of the 2026 recruiting class, will miss the entire 2026-27 season due to injury, the program announced on Tuesday, Sept. 1.
McCoy Jr. suffered an ACL injury in his right knee, per the announcement. The injury occurred in an exhibition game against KK Mega SUPERBET in Montenegro, the final game of Michigan's European tour.
The McDonald's All-American was averaging 14.5 points with five rebounds and four steals per game before the injury. He was expected to be a starter and one of Michigan's top scorers this season. The former five-star recruit was rated the No. 10 prospect nationally and No. 2 shooting guard, per 247Sports' Composite ratings.
Michigan replaces nearly its entire starting lineup from last season after Morez Johnson, Aday Mara and Yaxel Lendeborg were all selected in the lottery of the 2026 NBA Draft. The Wolverines return starting guards Elliot Cadeau and Nimari Burnett, though, along with former high-end recruit Trey McKenney, a sharpshooter off the bench as a true freshman last season.
Michigan also overhauled its front court after winning the national championship, adding former Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam, former Tennessee forward J.P. Estrella and former LSU forward Jalen Reed.
Regardless, it's an unfortunate loss for the Wolverines and first-year coach Mike Boynton Jr., who has a lot to figure out trying to replicate last season's success without former coach Dusty May, who's now coaching the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, and the roster turnover.
September is now upon us. That means cooler days, fewer mosquitoes (God willing), and the return of Senators hockey.
As we turn the page on the calendar and another summer, here are some of the key dates for the Senators.
Sept. 12–13: NHL Prospects Challenge in Gatineau
We're only 11 days away from the 2026 NHL Prospects Challenge in Gatineau, where Senators rookies will take on their counterparts from the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens.
The Senators haven't yet released their roster for the event, but in general, their list of prospects is as good as it's been in several years. Carter Yakemchuk, Jonas Lagerberg, Jaxon Cover, Kasper Halttunen, Logan Hensler, Adam Nemec, Blake Montgomery, Gabriel Elliason, and Lucas Beckman are just some of the more compelling names in the system.
Many of them, not all, will play in these two games.
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss whether the Zetterlund-Eklund friendship means they'll be good linemates.
Sept. 15: The Deadline for Eight-Year Extensions
With the new collective bargaining agreement starting on September 16, this will be the final day NHL teams can re-sign players to eight-year contracts. Under the new deal, the maximum term for re-signing your own players is seven years. For all other contracts, the maximum is six.
So September 15 is relevant for both Drake Batherson and Artem Zub, two important Senators who are eligible to sign extensions but won't become unrestricted free agents until next July.
While there have been no whispers out of the Zub camp, he'll be 31 on opening night, so the Senators probably aren't looking at a max term for him or paying him until he's 40.
But there have been whispers out of the Batherson camp.
Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch says he's heard that Batherson would like to get that eight-year term. If it is God's Plan for Drake to re-sign here, he'll likely be the highest-paid player in Senators history, probably getting somewhere around $9–10 million per season. If he waits and heads for the open auction of free agency, he'll likely get more annually.
If the two sides wanted to get something done this summer, and both were game to sign an eight-year deal by September 15, it would probably be done by now.
We'll find out if that's true two weeks from today.
Sept. 21–26: The Three Senators Preseason Dates
With the NHL season expanding to 84 games, the trade-off is a shorter preseason schedule. The Senators have only three preseason dates, but to maximize their time, two will feature split-squad games. All games will be against either the Habs or the Leafs.
They'll open the preseason on September 21 against Montreal at the Colisée Vidéotron in Trois-Rivières. Unlike last year's less-than-successful “home” preseason games in Quebec City, the Sens won't be travelling quite as far to play in front of Habs fans. They also won't have to burn a home preseason date to do it.
This one is part of Kraft Hockeyville Canada. While Trois-Rivières is hosting the game, Saint-Boniface, Quebec, is this year's recognized community.
A series of split-squad games will follow. On Wednesday, September 23, a portion of the players participating in training camp will travel to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs. At the same time, the Leafs will send a group to Ottawa to face the Senators at Canadian Tire Centre.
The same scenario will be repeated on Saturday, September 26, when the Senators and Canadiens face off simultaneously in Montreal and at the CTC.
Sept. 29: NHL Regular-Season Opening Night
The first game features the Florida Panthers visiting the Carolina Hurricanes at 5 pm, a battle between the winners of the last three Stanley Cups.
Even though the Senators were eliminated by the Hurricanes in the first round back in April, most of their fans will be cheering loudly for the 'Canes as they take on Florida newcomer Brady Tkachuk, who completely bailed on Ottawa in the offseason by asking for a trade. He'll be in white for the visiting Panthers, wearing the unfamiliar No. 8 and probably asking Jordan Staal for a pregame fight..
The evening also includes the classic Canadian matchup, the OG, with the Montreal Canadiens visiting the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7 pm.
The Senators won't open their regular season until Saturday, October 3, in Toronto. Their first three games will be on the road, with stops in Boston and Detroit on October 5 and 6. Ottawa's home opener is Thursday, October 8.
Also mixed in there this month is the team's annual golf tournament, the probable naming of a new captain, and later this week, their annual media season launch event.
In the meantime, welcome to September. Sens hockey is almost back.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the latest THN Ottawa headlines below:
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs, and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.
8. Prokhor Poltapov – Left Wing (CSKA Moscow – KHL)
The Sabres went heavy on Russians in the 2021 NHL Draft, and the first one selected was winger Prokhor Poltapov with the first pick in the second round (33rd overall). The St. Petersburg native scored 25 goals at the junior level and seven points for Russia at the IIHF World Junior under-18s in 2021.
Where will Connor Hellebuyck end up?
Similar to third-rounder Stiven Sardarian in the same draft, Poltapov is a product of the CSKA Moscow system, but opted to stay in Russia while Sardarian headed to North America to play in the NCAA. In 2022, he split time almost equally between the junior MHL, the second pro-level VHL and the KHL.
In his first two KHL seasons, he posted just 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) in 112 games in a depth role. but broke out offensively with 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 68 games, and last season led CSKA with 40 points (16 goals, 24 assists) in 68 games.
Poltapov is under contract for another season, but after the NHL Draft, Sabres assistant GM Jerry Forton indicated that the 6’0”, 176 lb. winger could join the club after the KHL season ends.
“We consider him almost a plug-and-play prospect the day he’s ready to come over, which I think should be next year,” Forton said. “I think he’s very much a guy that can come in and make an impact the day he gets over here.”
As the anticipation for the 2026-27 NHL season grows, TheHockeyNews.com will be taking a look at the top 10 prospects in the St. Louis Blues' system, with skilled, two-way right-handed defenseman Adam Jiricek coming in at the third spot.
The players in this ranking do not have extensive NHL experience and are all 23 and under. Therefore, players like Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Logan Mailloux, among others, won't feature in this ranking for those reasons.
The order of these rankings reflects a mix of their ceilings and potential, as well as how they've performed over the past year with their respective clubs.
The top-rated defenseman in the St. Louis Blues prospect pool is none other than Adam Jiricek. Up until the 2025-26 season, injuries had hampered Jiricek's ability to shine, but he was healthy throughout the entire campaign and looked every part of the 16th overall pick of the 2024 NHL draft.
Jiricek played his second season with the OHL's Brantford Bulldogs, scoring 19 goals and 59 points in 55 games. His 59 points ranked fourth among defensemen in the OHL, and his 19 goals ranked third. When the playoffs rolled around, Jiricek kept his pace, notching seven goals and 22 points in 15 games, ranking third in goals and points on the Bulldogs.
While his offensive numbers shone, his defensive game never wavered, as evidenced most clearly by his exceptional performance at the 2026 World Junior Championship.
Jiricek and Jakub Fibigr skated together on the top pairing for Team Czechia and were dynamite. Jiricek finished the tournament with five goals and six points in seven games, earning best defenseman honors as Czechia won silver. But Jiricek and Fibigr were tasked with playing heavy minutes against opponents' top lines, routinely shutting them down.
Although Jiricek has had several brilliant tournaments, it was his best two-way display of his career up until that point.
The 20-year-old's season ended early when the Bulldogs, who were favorites to win the OHL Championship for most of the season, were eliminated from the playoffs. The Blues took that opportunity to bring him to the Springfield Thunderbirds, where he skated in six post-season games. He failed to record any points, but the fact that coach Steve Ott trusted a rookie defenseman to play in six playoff games is impressive in itself.
Jiricek is now poised to participate in his rookie season in the AHL, with high expectations. Standing 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Jiricek boasts a strong frame for an NHL defenseman. His size should allow him to defend the front of his net and deal with the physicality of the AHL, but where he'll thrive is in his puck-moving.
Jiricek is a mobile defenseman who can retrieve dump-ins and quickly initiate breakouts. Whether it's with a heads-up first pass or by taking the puck solo, Jiricek is very effective at moving the puck in a positive direction.
When in the offensive zone, Jiricek showed more confidence in the OHL and at the world juniors to jump into play, whether off the rush or on the cycle. With the puck on his stick at the blueline, he is a threat to feather a pass to a teammate or fire off a heavy shot. He possesses a strong slap shot, especially off a one-timer.
His offensive skill set should allow him to quarterback a power play at the NHL level, but whether it's on a top unit or second unit remains to be seen.
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Exhibit 10 deals are essentially training camp contracts that can be converted into two-way deals before the regular season. The Sixers currently have two of their three two-way spots filled by Caleb Love and Rayan Rupert. Players who do not make the NBA roster often remain in the organization and join its G League affiliate.
Fall, 30, is the most recognizable name of the group — and one of the tallest players in NBA history.
The 7-foot-6 center was born and raised in Dakar, Senegal before moving to the United States at 16. He attended high school in Texas and Florida before playing four seasons at UCF.
Fall set three records at the 2019 NBA Draft Combine. He measured 7-foot-7 in shoes with an 8-foot-2¼ wingspan and a 10-foot-2½ standing reach, all the largest measurements in the event’s history.
Fall went undrafted in 2019 but became a fan favorite during two seasons with the Boston Celtics. He later joined the Cleveland Cavaliers and made his first NBA start against Boston on Dec. 22, 2021, grabbing a career-high 10 rebounds.
He has not appeared in an NBA game since the 2021-22 season. Fall played 37 games over three seasons with Boston and Cleveland, averaging 2.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 6.1 minutes.
Fall spent the past four seasons overseas, primarily in China. He most recently played for the Ningbo Rockets and averaged 11.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 18.1 minutes across his international stops.
He also played for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers and Nanjing Monkey Kings in China, along with the New Zealand Breakers of Australia’s National Basketball League.
Nelson, 25, brings strong local ties.
The Haverford native is the son of former Saint Joseph’s star and NBA All-Star Jameer Nelson, who now serves as the Sixers’ executive vice president of basketball operations. The elder Nelson played 14 NBA seasons after leading Saint Joseph’s to an undefeated regular season and an Elite Eight appearance in 2004.
Nelson Jr. attended The Haverford School and played five college seasons. He began his career at George Washington, transferred to Delaware and earned All-CAA honors in both of his seasons with the Blue Hens. He finished his college career at TCU in 2023-24.
The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 18.9 points on 47.5 percent shooting, 3.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 25 games for the Stockton Kings last season.
Nelson scored a career-high 45 points off the bench in March, shooting 62 percent from the field and making eight three-pointers. He previously played for the Austin Spurs in the G League and has also spent time professionally in Canada, China and Puerto Rico.
Thomas, 23, is already familiar with the Sixers’ organization.
The 6-foot-7 forward is from Omaha, Nebraska and attended Millard North High School. He played four college seasons across Loyola Chicago, Northern Colorado and USC.
Thomas earned first-team All-Big Sky honors and was named the conference’s Newcomer of the Year during his lone season at Northern Colorado. He went undrafted in 2025 and joined the Delaware Blue Coats.
According to the Sixers, Thomas averaged 12.5 points on 46.6 percent shooting, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 60 appearances for the Blue Coats last season.
He remained with the organization during the 2026 Summer League, averaging 4.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 assist in four games.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - DECEMBER 22: Tacko Fall #99 of the Cleveland Cavaliers (L) and Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics talk after the game at TD Garden on December 22, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The gigantic Fall of course comes with the most NBA experience. After going undrafted in 2019 he spent two seasons with the Boston Celtics and one with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He averaged 2.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 6 minutes a game during his NBA career. He’s spent the last four seasons bouncing between teams in the Chinese Basketball Association and the Australian National Basketball League.
Jameer Nelson Jr., obviously the son of the Sixers’ new executive vice president of basketball operations, was an undrafted free agent in 2024. He’s spent a year with the Spurs G-League affiliate and the Kings G-League affiliate, with a half a season in the Canadian Elite Basketball League in between. In 25 games for the Stockton Kings last season, he averaged 18.9 points on 47.5-percent shooting, along with 3.4 assists and three rebounds per game.
The final signing, Saint Thomas, has been in the Sixers organization since going undrafted in 2025. As a member of the Delaware Blue Coats he’s been on Philadelphia’s Summer League roster the past two years. He put up 12.5 points on 46.6-percent shooting, five rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game last season for the Coats in 60 appearances. In four summer league games this season he averaged 4.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and one assist in 15.5 minutes per game.
Bastien Tronchon claimed victory in stage 10 of the Vuelta a España as the Frenchman edged a thrilling bunch sprint on Tuesday.
The Groupama rider was followed over the line by Magnus Cort Nielsen and Thibau Nys, who edged Wout van Aert to complete the day’s podium. The Spaniard Enric Mas retained the red jersey ahead of Primoz Roglic and Felix Gall in the general classification.
Minute’s applause to take place in Lincoln on Wednesday
Spate of serious recent crashes have put safety on agenda
The death of the Welshman Fin Tarling continues to cast a long shadow over professional cycling and nowhere will that absence be felt more deeply than at the men’s Tour of Britain which begins on Wednesday.
Tarling’s former team NSN Cycling, which includes the Olympic medallist Ethan Vernon, also one of his closest friends, will be brought to the start line in Lincoln for the opening 187km stage, for what is expected to be a minute’s applause.
NEW ORLEANS - FEBRUARY 16: Kobe Bryant, Carlos Boozer and Dirk Nowitzki of the West All-Stars look at Kobe Bryant's iPhone prior to the West All-Stars Practice on center court at NBA Jam Session presented by Addidas at the Earnest N. Morial Convention Center February 16, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Note: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s a big day for Mavs Moneyball. Today, the SB Nation app is live, and it’s the best way to follow the Mavericks.
You can download it by searching SB Nation for iOS or Android.
A year ago we made some big changes to our community, including offering fewer ads and the addition of the Feed. Today, we want to give you even more community tools and fewer ads with this app. It will make starting and joining conversations here as simple as posting to your favorite social media platform.
You can check out the video below showing off some of the useful features of the app, and we’ll dig into them below.
Why should I download the app?
The app will be the easiest way to interact with everybody else in the community:
All your favorite teams’ posts in one dedicated feed
Notifications when someone replies or recs your post
New game thread section, with an experience that’s smoother and faster
Fewer ads
Easily navigating between your favorite communities with a swipe
It will be the fastest way to read every post from our community.
How do I download the app?
Head over to the Apple store or the Android store to download the app. Today, the app is only available for US users.
Victor Oladipo is a man robbed of his peak seasons by injuries. In 2017-18, he averaged 23.1 points and 4.3 assists per game for the Pacers, won Most Improved Player and was an All-Star, an All-NBA and an All-Defensive Team player. Then the next season he ruptured his quadriceps tendon, and he was never physically right again. Oladipo, now 34, hasn't played in the NBA in three seasons.
In an open letter to general managers at The Players Tribune, Oladipo said it took a long time for him to stop chasing what was lost and just be patient and get his body right. He said he is finally in that place, can still contribute to a winning basketball team, and wants that chance.
"Me, in this moment of my life, at 34 years old. The version of her dad that got kicked all the way down the mountain, then spent years trying to climb back up, only to get kicked back down, again and again … but never once quit trying to climb. The version of her dad that, let's be real, is probably getting counted out by a lot of people, and is probably getting laughed at by a few of them … but has managed to keep his faith, and keep his purpose. The version of her dad that's finally found the perspective, and the humility, to write a letter like this one.
"To say to any GM who's willing to listen: I believe my body is finally right. I believe I still have GREAT (and more importantly, WINNING) basketball in front of me. I believe I can be a valuable contributor to an NBA locker room. And what I'm asking for right now is an opportunity to prove it....
"So that's where I'm at with everything. I don't know how my journey here is going to end....... Maybe a team out there will give me a chance. Maybe no team will. That's really up to you all. But if you're in an NBA front office, and you took the time to read this: Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Oladipo has been linked to Sacramento as a potential backup to rookie Darius Acuff Jr., but nothing official has come of that. Oladipo played in the G League for the Wisconsin Herd part of last season and averaged 13.5 points per game in the regular season, shooting 32.5% from 3-point range. He has also played some in China in recent years.
Oladipo faces the reality many older players do: Most teams would rather give a bench point guard spot (or any position) to a young player they can develop and hold on to for years than to one on the back end of a career. Still, there is a real role for mature, quality veterans in the locker room who can still contribute something on the court.
Whether Oladipo is that guy and gets a chance remains to be seen, but he's made his pitch.
Victor Oladipo is a man robbed of his peak seasons by injuries. In 2017-18, he averaged 23.1 points and 4.3 assists per game for the Pacers, won Most Improved Player and was an All-Star, an All-NBA and an All-Defensive Team player. Then the next season he ruptured his quadriceps tendon, and he was never physically right again. Oladipo, now 34, hasn't played in the NBA in three seasons.
In an open letter to general managers at The Players Tribune, Oladipo said it took a long time for him to stop chasing what was lost and just be patient and get his body right. He said he is finally in that place, can still contribute to a winning basketball team, and wants that chance.
"Me, in this moment of my life, at 34 years old. The version of her dad that got kicked all the way down the mountain, then spent years trying to climb back up, only to get kicked back down, again and again … but never once quit trying to climb. The version of her dad that, let's be real, is probably getting counted out by a lot of people, and is probably getting laughed at by a few of them … but has managed to keep his faith, and keep his purpose. The version of her dad that's finally found the perspective, and the humility, to write a letter like this one.
"To say to any GM who's willing to listen: I believe my body is finally right. I believe I still have GREAT (and more importantly, WINNING) basketball in front of me. I believe I can be a valuable contributor to an NBA locker room. And what I'm asking for right now is an opportunity to prove it....
"So that's where I'm at with everything. I don't know how my journey here is going to end....... Maybe a team out there will give me a chance. Maybe no team will. That's really up to you all. But if you're in an NBA front office, and you took the time to read this: Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Oladipo has been linked to Sacramento as a potential backup to rookie Darius Acuff Jr., but nothing official has come of that. Oladipo played in the G League for the Wisconsin Herd part of last season and averaged 13.5 points per game in the regular season, shooting 32.5% from 3-point range. He has also played some in China in recent years.
Oladipo faces the reality many older players do: Most teams would rather give a bench point guard spot (or any position) to a young player they can develop and hold on to for years than to one on the back end of a career. Still, there is a real role for mature, quality veterans in the locker room who can still contribute something on the court.
Whether Oladipo is that guy and gets a chance remains to be seen, but he's made his pitch.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 2: Fedor Svechkov #40 of the Nashville Predators skates before the game against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena on April 2, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by Mile High Hockey staff members. Seven writers have ranked players under the age of 25 in the Colorado Avalanche organization as of September 1, 2026. Now, we’ll count down each of the 25 players ranked.
Name: Fedor Svechkov
Age: 23
Position: C
Height: 6’0”
Likely 2026-27 Team: Colorado Avalanche
Weight: 187 lbs.
2025 Rank: N/A
Final Rank: #4
High Rank: #1 (Adrian)
Low Rank: #25 (Brennan)
2025-26 Statistics:
Nashville Predators: 70GP: 4G, 13A, 17P
Milwaukee Admirals (AHL): 10GP: 5G, 3A, 8P
Of all the recent additions, center Fedor Svechkov has the best chance of making an impact for the Colorado Avalanche. Acquired in June as part of the Jack Drury trade from the Nashville Predators along with Zach L’Heureux, Svechkov brings a notable amount of NHL experience over two seasons. That total number of 122 games, including 70 last season, is the most of anyone on our ranking and helped catapult the 23-year-old into our top five.
Svechkov is another new face to the organization with first round pedigree taken at 19th overall in the 2021 draft and he arrived to the Predators organization with high hopes after spending two seasons playing for various teams at multiple levels in Russia. In the 2023-24 season the young center began his North American career in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals where he scored 39 points in 57 games. After that he was on a path to big league graduation spending 52 and then 70 games in the NHL with Nashville scoring 17 points in each season. Svechkov might have left the AHL behind entirely but the Olympic break sent him back to Milwaukee to play 10 games in early 2026 where he scored eight points in that brief sojourn.
If there’s one player on our ranking that has a spot penciled onto the current Avalanche roster it’s Svechkov. It’s easy to see him as a direct Jack Drury replacement in the lineup at fourth line center and GM Joe Sakic even said so after acquiring the Russian. Svechkov has a little experience with the penalty kill and was drafted with scouting reports pointing towards attributes he possesses of a well-rounded two-way forward. He will have to improve on his 40% career faceoff win rate but most young centers need development in that area.
It’s easy to see Svechkov will spend significant time with the Avalanche because he’s no longer waiver exempt and also the fact that by taking on the contract Svechkov signed earlier in the year with Nashville, the Avalanche will owe him $1.25 million each year over the next two seasons. There’s a lot of incentive for both parties to make this opportunity work, which is why Svechkov lands at number four with a chance to take over the consensus top spot if this year goes well.
May 24, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) warms up before a game against the Vegas Golden Knights in game three of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Stephen R. Sylvanie/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The title still is sinking in for Cale Makar — highest paid player in NHL history.
With it, of course, comes great expectations for the Colorado Avalanche standout defenseman. Like more gaudy stats and deep Stanley Cup runs. Pressure becomes part of the price tag for signing an eight-year, $163.2 million extension that kicks in next season. Pressure, the two-time Norris Trophy winner asserted, he welcomes.
“I’m a guy that just puts a lot of pressure on myself to do well year in, year out,” Makar said at a news conference on the heels of a deal he signed that will keep him with Colorado through the 2034-35 season. “It’s going to make me even push myself a little bit more.”
The 27-year-old Makar took becoming the league’s first player to sign for more than $20 million a season in stride. He’s already predicting the figure won’t stand for long. It could be Edmonton’s Connor McDavid or Toronto’s Auston Matthews, who are eligible for extensions next summer. Down the road, it might be Makar’s teammate Nathan MacKinnon.
“I fully expect Nate to even double what this is right now,” cracked Makar, who’s turned in four 20-goal seasons in his career. “It’s incredible to see where the game is going.”
No doubt, the Avalanche are in a championship window with two of the top players in the game — Makar and MacKinnon — on the roster. Makar’s new salary ($20.4 million) in 2027-28 will take up roughly 18% of the projected salary cap. That season will also see MacKinnon slated to have a cap hit of $12.6 million and Martin Necas $11.5 million.
Joe Sakic, the Hall of Fame forward turned front-office executive, downplayed the notion this could make the Avalanche too top heavy.
“You can’t win without superstars,” Sakic said. “Yeah, you need depth. You need your team playing really well at the right time. ... Unless you have guys like Cale and Nate on your team, it makes it a lot harder.”
That belief only was bolstered by what transpired in the Western Conference Final when Makar missed the opening two games due to an upper-body injury. Makar, clearly not at full strength, returned for the final two games in a series in which the Avalanche were swept by the Vegas Golden Knights.
“You need your stars to be on the ice for you, and you need them to play well,” Sakic explained. “That definitely hurt. I mean, it’s a big reason why we were 0-2, and a big reason why we lost the series.
“Him and Nate, they created such a great culture in our dressing room, and moving forward, you need that. Not just winning games, but we’re in an entertainment business, too, and how lucky are we to be able to watch these guys in an Avs uniform? ... We’re all spoiled a little bit to have them in our organization and to watch them play on a regular basis.”
Makar already can feel a sense of excitement brewing around the team. A chance at redemption, too.
“We’ve created such a great culture here,” said Makar, who had 20 goals and 59 assists last season. “When guys get here, they know it’s going to be hard work, but it’s exciting because you know it’s going to be worth it, hopefully.”
The nucleus of Makar, MacKinnon and captain Gabriel Landeskog lifted Colorado to a Stanley Cup title in 2022. Makar had eight goals and 21 assists during the championship run to capture the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs.
“He’s a generational player — unreal to watch,” Sakic said. “Fan favorite.”
For Sakic, including a no-movement clause in the deal was a no-brainer.
“Cale’s that player who has the right and should have the right to dictate where he wants to play for his entire career,” Sakic said. “There wasn’t even a thought on that.”
In Makar’s mind, signing for eight years was important for clarity “in the sense of the direction that we want to go,” Makar explained. “As a player, all you want to ask for is to win.
“Obviously we’ve done it once, and I really don’t want that to be the end because once you feel it, you want to get it again.”
Does he get paid like the elite center he was last regular season, averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, being a defensive anchor in the paint who was critical to his team winning 60 games? That guy sounds like a max player, and one who should at least get something in the five-year, $200 million — $40 million a season — range.
Or, is Duren the guy who struggled on both ends during the playoffs, averaging 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, with a negative plus/minus? By the end of the postseason, he was losing minutes to third-string center Paul Reed. That center should be happy with five years, $175 million, or $35 million a season average.
According to league sources, the Pistons are offering a five-year deal that would pay Duren in the range of $35 million annually. Duren, who is represented by agent Chafie Fields of The Team, is requesting a deal with an average salary in excess of $40 million.
"From either camp, you can see their side," a West executive said. "You can justify it. That's what makes it hard."
An executive from an East rival disagreed: "[Duren] and his agent aren't being realistic. They're anchored to the max-type offer. But $35 million is not a discount. It's a lot of money."
One key thing worth noting in these talks (as pointed out at ESPN): The Pistons are about $36.5 million below the luxury tax line. That and the fact that Duren is a restricted free agent give Detroit a lot of leverage. Duren could play this season for the $9.6 million qualifying offer, then become an unrestricted free agent next summer, but that is a huge risk (injuries or other factors could impact his value), and it leaves generational money on the table.
There is a logical middle ground between the sides of about $37.5 million a season, or five years, $187.5 million — which is basically what Alperen Sengun got a summer ago from Houston. As Keith Smith noted, this is also almost exactly what happened with Josh Giddey a summer ago.
The real deadline pressure comes with the start of training camp, expect a deal to get done close to then. But until then, the drama remains.
That is, until Steph’s wife, Ayesha Curry, made a telling claim about her husband’s basketball future during a recent interview.
“Of course, Steph is the hardest-working man in the room. He has no days off. He hasn’t stopped since last season ended. He’s ready. He’s ready to get out there. I think we’re going to be in for some fun surprises over the next couple of years,” Ayesha Curry told NBC Sports Bay Area.
Stephen Curry and Ayesha Curry watch Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Jannik Sinner of Italy during the Men’s Finals at the US Open on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, at Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens. Larry Marano
Ayesha mentioning “the next couple of years” seems to hint that Steph still has at least a few seasons left in the tank. And this makes sense, given that he’s still one of the world’s best players and a lethal sharpshooter.
Perhaps the bigger question was whether Steph wants to stay in Golden State. The Warriors’ have only won two playoff series’ since securing the 2021-22 NBA Championship, and Steph surely wants to chase another championship before hanging up the sneakers for good.
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors looks on against the Houston Rockets in the first quarter on April 5, 2026, at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. Getty Images
But the Warriors legend set the record straight regarding his intention to stay in Golden State, saying in the same interview, “There’s no question I want to be here the rest of my career, and I’m pretty sure that’s going to happen.”
If Steph were to sign this contract, it would mean he’s under contract with the Warriors for three more seasons (including this upcoming campaign, where he’s set to make $62.6 million). That seems to align with Ayesha’s “next couple of years” comment, and serves as further proof that Steph could have three NBA seasons remaining.
Stephen Curry attends the game between the Dallas Wings and the Golden State Valkyries on August 17, 2026, at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NBAE via Getty Images
