One of the biggest matters of internal business that Colorado Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic is attempting to take care of is a contract extension for defenseman Cale Makar, one of the top players at his position in the NHL.
Makar, who has won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman twice while earning several more nominations for the award, is set to enter the final year of his current contract.
His six-year, $54 million pact with a $9 million salary cap hit expires next summer, and he’s due for a considerable raise, especially given how much the salary cap has been rising.
And for any fan of the Avalanche who is worried about Makar potentially departing the franchise, former captain and current GM Joe Sakic was quick to put their minds at ease.
Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic Confirms Cale Makar Will Play His Entire Career With The Club
Earlier in the offseason, Avalanche general manager and president Joe Sakic, who led them to the Stanley Cup in 1996 and 2001 as captain during his Hall of Fame career, confirmed that Makar isn’t going to be wearing the jersey of another NHL team.
“Cale is going to finish his career here,” Sakic said. “We’re already talking to his agent, so we’re confident that something’s going to get worked out at some point. I mean, he’s got another year, but this summer we expect to have him signed.”
Meanwhile, Sakic also said that Makar and the rest of the club is highly motivated to rebound after their season came to a close in a stunning sweep at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final following the best regular season record in team history.
“The core guys are still here, so we’re going to shoot and try and win another Cup next year,” Sakic said. “Everybody was disappointed. I won’t say anger was the thing, but to a man, they want to bring this back. They want to bring the group back, and they want to try and do it again.
“It’s a great group. They care about each other. They want to win. They’re very competitive. They’re disappointed, but their expectations are to try and come back and try and compete and win a Stanley Cup.”
Additionally, he made it clear that he has no intention of “blowing it up” and starting anew.
“We could panic and try and blow everything up and start all over, but this team, what they’ve done over the course of the year was pretty remarkable,” he said. “Now we want to give them an opportunity to try and do it again. I mean, the last two trade deadlines were meant for not just that year. It was to try and compete for a few years with this group and try and bring home the Stanley Cup, and that’s the goal.”
Cale Makar Is Arguably The Best Defenseman In The NHL
Makar, whom the Avalanche selected in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft, has become arguably the best player at his position in the NHL.
So far in his career, he’s scored 136 goals with 371 assists, while also adding another 26 goals and 64 assists in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Avalanche GM Joe Sakic Reveals Cale Makar’s Long-Term Fate