Colorado’s largest deal record is currently in front of Jared Bednar and Cale Makar, and the amount surrounding it may reset the market for blue lines.

The one shaking up the entire league is the new perspective. Pierre LeBrun’s reported read is that Makar’s camp is using Kirill Kaprizov’s $17 million AAV as the line in the sand.

This is significant because it’s not a lot of money to chase a winger. With no discount for location, this is the finest defenseman in the world asking for fair compensation.

And Makar has the background to do it. He recorded 79 points in 75 games for 2025-26, scoring 20 goals and assisting on 59 others, while also earning a plus-32 rating.

Elite defensive scoring is only one aspect of it. Once again, that is a top-of-the-league impact from the blue line. He was a Norris finalist for the sixth year in a row, according to NHL.com.

What makes this live right now is the contract time. Makar is in the last season of his $54 million, six-year contract, which he signed in 2021 and has a $9 million cap hit through 2026-27.

Colorado is not dealing with a fading star, either. Makar achieved 500 career points in 2025–2026, and he is still in the middle of his prime years.

The NHL market may be broken by Cale Makar’s next deal.
The tone of every elite negotiation was altered by Kaprizov’s extension. He received an eight-year, $136 million deal from Minnesota, which was $17 million annually.

Makar’s camp had a clear argument after that figure appeared on the board. Why should a franchise defender with Makar’s resume come in below that level if a franchise winger can sit there? Now Colorado must deal with that pressure.

The Avalanche possesses one benefit. Colorado is still a club designed to win right away, not one that is attempting to market hope. Bednar is still on the bench, and Makar is already in position.

Nonetheless, this is the sort of agreement that transforms everything around it. A defenseman making $17 million would set a record for the position. It would also force the next group of elite blue-liners into a separate pay level.

Therefore, this story is so affecting. In addition to discussing his next contract, Cale Makar is also discussing his future. He is determining whether the NHL is prepared to value a defenseman in the same way as a franchise forward.

And the rest of the league will immediately sense it if Colorado gives him that figure.