Should The Avalanche Kiss Cale Makar Goodbye Now?

Should The Avalanche Kiss Cale Makar Goodbye Now?

Did anybody see what Chris MacFarland said about why the Avalanche decided to trade Mikko Rantanen? It was probably the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard but more importantly, it really lacks forward thinking. MacFarland essentially said Rantanen had the right to test free agency. Will they tell Cale Makar the same thing?

The Avs have this insane internal cap model where nobody is allowed to make more money than Nathan MacKinnon (link to MacKinnon’s contract). That would make sense minus the fact that the salary cap will be well north of $100 million two years from now. The market is changing and players should be compensated as such.

Except the Avalanche who apparently live in Looney Tunes land. Elliotte Friedman put out quite the nugget the other day. Feel free to watch this clip below where Friedman essentially says the Avalanche and other teams might cry poor and refuse to spend to the upper echelon of the cap.

“I think for the first time in the cap era, you’re going to start seeing some tiers.”

In the latest 32 Thoughts, @sportsnetkyle and @FriedgeHNIC unpack the Mikko Rantanen trade from all angles!

🔗: https://t.co/Y5Jj9HOdCH

Presented by @GMCcanada pic.twitter.com/JRW0C41Mk9

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 27, 2025

If this is really the case… they may as well kiss Makar goodbye now.

Cale Makar Is The Greatest Defensemen The NHL Has Ever Seen

Makar, 26, is the best defenseman in the world. The former 4th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft has 58 points in 54 games. That’s after posting 90 points the season prior. Makar is an absolute demon on the ice. His offensive skill and skating ability sets him apart from every defenseman in the sport.

Guess what?

His contract expires at the end of the 2026-27 NHL Season. The exact moment when the cap should be well north of $100 million. It’s $88 million right now. I’m just telling you right now, but Makar has every right to ask for a $20 million AAV when it’s his time to cash in.

Colorado low balled Rantanen and now they’re crying poor claiming they might not spend up to the highest levels of the cap. If that’s the case, maybe they should think about trading Makar too because asking him to take less than MacKinnon’s $12.6 AAV is Looney Tunes land crazy based on how the cap is climbing.

If Rantanen can be traded, anyone can be traded. It certainly feels very realistic that Makar could be available two years from now, especially if the Colorado front office continues down the path of nonsense.

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