Makar Extension Set to Be Announced Today

The Colorado Avalanche are expected to announce a contract extension for defenseman Cale Makar today, closing out the offseason's most consequential piece of unfinished business. The deal has been in the works since early August, with general manager Joe Sakic publicly expressing confidence as recently as August 24 that it would be finalized before the season.

Makar posted 14 goals, 41 assists, and 55 points at plus-29 in 48 games last season, logging 24.4 minutes per night as the anchor of Colorado's blue line. Locking him in was the non-negotiable item on the offseason checklist — everything else the front office did, from the Nichushkin trade to the forward depth additions, was built around the assumption that Makar would remain the foundation.

With the extension now expected to be formalized, Colorado can turn its full attention to training camp and the unresolved questions that remain: Jaden Schwartz's recovery timeline, the secondary scoring depth that collapsed against Vegas, and whether the new additions are enough to prevent a repeat of last spring.