Cale Makar embraces the pressure of extension with Avs that makes him league's highest paid player

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The title is still 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 a $163.2 million, eight-year 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 Monday at a news conference on the heels of a deal he signed late last week 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 was only 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 can already 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.”

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL