Someone was eventually going to break the $20 million annual average value mark and now Cale Makar has done it.
It was announced Friday that the Colorado Avalanche locked up their two-time Norris Trophy winning defenceman to an eight-year contract, paying him an AAV of $20.4 million. This contract will not only make Makar the highest paid player in NHL history but also breaks the $20 million barrier, nearing the maximum of $20.8 million.
This is a significant pay increase for Makar, who is set to make just $9 million this upcoming season as he enters the final year of his six-year contract. It also continues a trend that has seen player salary demands jump as the players attempt to utilize their leverage more following the trend of enormous jumps in the annual NHL salary cap.
Looking at this contract from an Edmonton Oilers specific lens, this deal makes Bouchard's current contract, which carries an AAV of just $10.5 million, look like a massive discount, one that will surely be short-lived.
Bouchard contract looks like a steal
Although Bouchard did not receive any recognition in his trophy case for his elite performance last year, he lead all defencemen in assists with 74 and points with 95. His production alone should have made him a candidate for the Norris Trophy last season. He was also just the fourth-highest paid defenceman behind; Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty, and Rasmus Dahlin.
Looking ahead to this upcoming season, Bouchard will sit fifth in terms of cap hit with the new contract signed by Dallas Stars and defenceman Thomas Harley. The following season as of right now, he is projected to be in fifth once again with Makar's deal kicking in then, putting him first. Along with these, Bowen Byram will be ahead of Bouchard after the massive deal he signed with the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this summer.
The only downside to Bouchard's current deal is that the Oilers were only able to lock him in on a four-year contract which is set to expire in 2029. However, between now and the expiration of this deal there are many more players whose deals will expire who could pass Bouchard in terms of AAV. Both Quinn Hughes and Zach Werenski have won the Norris Trophy in recent years and both are set to have their contracts expire before Bouchard, in 2027 and 2028, respectively.
There is also star rookie and 2026 Calder Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer whose contract will expire in 2028. His second contract will surely see a massive pay increase, one that may challenge Makar's contract. This is especially the case with the new contract from another rising NHL star in Macklin Celebrini, demanding an $18.8 million AAV on a five-year contract.
The Oilers will have three more years of Bouchard potentially playing Norris calibre hockey, locked in at just $10.5 million per year. Due to the rising cap and with multiple players' contracts set to expire between now and then, Bouchard's deal will look like a steal, at least for a brief time before he demands a costly extension. Especially if he is able to capture that elusive Norris Trophy or another piece of hardware...
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