On Friday, the Colorado Avalanche made defenseman Cale Makar the highest-paid player in the sport, inking him to an eight-year deal worth $20.4 million annually.
Makar, 27, has one more season left on his current deal, worth $9 million annually, and while many players eligible for extensions have chosen to go five years instead of eight, the Calgary native chose the stability, with eight-year deals being abolished following Sept. 15.
Immediately, people looked at Makar’s deal and discussed how it could affect the next contract of New York Islanders star defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who is eligible to sign an extension on July 1, 2027.
But, to me, Makar’s contract isn’t really a comparable one for Schaefer.