- Joe Sakic defended paying Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon with one blunt line about superstars
- Sakic said Makar’s injury was a big reason Colorado lost the Western Conference Final
- Read below for what Makar predicted about MacKinnon’s next contract
Joe Sakic isn’t apologizing for the biggest contract in NHL history.
Colorado’s president of hockey operations met the media Monday in Englewood alongside Cale Makar, the first time either had spoken publicly since Makar signed his eight-year, $163.2 million extension on Friday. Sakic was asked whether handing a defenseman $20.4 million a season leaves the Avalanche too top heavy.
“You can’t win without superstars. 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.”
Last spring gave him his evidence. Makar hurt his upper body in the second round against Minnesota and missed the first two games of the Western Conference Final. Vegas won both, then finished the sweep.
Sakic didn’t dance around what that cost them, per NHL.com.
“You need your stars to be on the ice for you, and you need them to play well. That definitely hurt. I mean, it’s a big reason why we were 0-2, and a big reason why we lost the series.”
Watch the full press conference:
The deal begins in 2027-28 and runs through 2034-35. Makar’s cap hit will swallow roughly 18 percent of the projected ceiling in year one, with MacKinnon at $12.6 million and Martin Necas at $11.5 million on the same books.
Getting there was the easy part. Sakic talked about how the calls with Makar’s agent, Brian Bartlett, actually went.
“It wasn’t even really a negotiation, to be honest with you. We just knew what was going to happen. Cale’s that player who has the right and should have the right to dictate where he wants to play for his entire career.”
Makar, 27, doesn’t expect to own the record for long. Asked about the number Monday, he pointed straight down the hall at his center, according to the Associated Press.
“I fully expect Nate to even double what this is right now. It’s incredible to see where the game is going.”
He has room to be that confident. Makar’s $163.2 million total sits $27.2 million clear of Kirill Kaprizov’s $136 million, the next-largest deal ever signed, and MacKinnon’s $100.8 million doesn’t even crack the top seven behind Sidney Crosby.
As for whether the money changes how he approaches a season, Makar didn’t budge.
“I’m a guy that just puts a lot of pressure on myself to do well year in, year out. It’s going to make me even push myself a little bit more.”
The Avalanche won the Presidents’ Trophy last season at 55-16-11 and still watched Vegas end its year in four straight. Sakic just spent record money making sure the next run has Makar healthy and on the ice.
