Joe Sakic might have been lacing up the skates and lighting the lamp in an alumni game Sunday night, but his real focus is all business: locking down superstar defenseman Cale Makar. The Hall of Famer, now a front office exec, was back on the ice with Avalanche legends like Peter Forsberg and Milan Hejduk, even scoring early off a pass from Hejduk for old times’ sake. But with training camp right around the corner, Sakic’s back in deal-making mode, and the biggest one on his plate is Makar’s contract extension.
Makar’s Mega-Deal: The $75 Million Shadow
This isn’t just any contract. We’re talking about Cale Makar, a two-time Norris Trophy winner who’s coming off a season with an insane 20 goals and 59 assists. Sakic is pushing to keep Makar in Denver well into the future, and he sounds pretty confident about it. “We continue talking,” Sakic said before hitting the ice. “I’m pretty confident that he’ll be signed before the season starts.” That’s the kind of confidence we love to hear! Now, the market for defensemen has definitely shifted, especially after Bowen Byram’s $75 million, six-year extension with the Chicago Blackhawks. That deal made Byram the highest-paid defenseman in the league. But Sakic? He’s brushing it off. When asked if those deals affect the Makar talks, Sakic cracked, “Really? I haven’t noticed that.” He added, “Like I said, I’m not worried about it. I don’t think Cale’s worried about it. Dialog’s been great and when there’s an agreement, we’ll gladly announce it. Hopefully something will be done before the start of training camp.” Sounds like they’re just hammering out the final details on what will surely be a groundbreaking deal for a generational talent.
Beyond Makar: Coaching Future and an Avalanche Reunion
While Makar is the top priority, there are other rumblings in the front office. Sakic didn’t have any updates on coach Jared Bednar’s contract talks either. Bednar is entering his final year, but Sakic seems totally unconcerned. “Everything’s great. Not worried about that,” he stated, pointing out that players and coaches go into their final contract years all the time. Bednar, for his part, is the franchise’s all-time leader in wins and led Colorado to a Stanley Cup title in 2022. It’s easy to forget that last season, the Avalanche had the best record in hockey before getting swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final. Sunday’s alumni game wasn’t just about contract talk, though. It was a chance for Sakic and his former teammates to skate together and honor old friends. They took a moment to remember Claude Lemieux, who passed away in May at 60. Lemieux was part of that legendary 1995-96 Stanley Cup team, the Avs’ first season in Denver after the move from Quebec. They won again in 2000-01. As Sakic put it, “This is just the perfect type of game to get together, get on the ice… spend some time for a few days, and then just think about the old times.” Even Peter Forsberg, who joked that his “playing form is not that good anymore” due to foot issues, was eager to see Sakic fully back in the general manager role in addition to president of hockey operations.
With training camp officially on the horizon, the pressure is on Sakic to finalize Makar’s extension. If his confidence is any indicator, we might hear some huge news any day now, setting the stage for another wild season!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply