The 2026 free agent class is expected to be stacked. Connor McDavid, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Artemi Panarin headline the class. Of course, by the time free agency rolls around, most of these players will be extended but at the moment, fans are gearing up for another wild summer. Meanwhile, come next summer, keep an eye Cale Makar.
All eyes are on McDavid, the best player in the world, who could test the market in 2026. What about 2027?
The 2027 UFA class is topped by the best defenseman in the world and arguably the second-best player in the NHL. That’s Cale Makar, for those wondering. The reigning Norris Trophy winner could make next summer very interesting for the Colorado Avalanche and the NHL as a whole.
Makar signed a six-year extension back on July 24, 2021. The contract expires on July 1, 2027. Meanwhile, come next summer, there will be a lot of nervous folks in Denver if the Avalanche superstar doesn’t sign a monstrous new deal a year ahead of his UFA status.
The Argument For Makar to Test Free Agency in 2027
The new NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the NHL Players Association takes effect for the 2026-27 season. The new CBA trims the maximum extension from eight to seven years with one’s own team and from seven to six years with a new club. This directly affects Makar and the Avalanche.
Ideally, the Avalanche sign Makar to a seve-year extension before the 2026-27 season starts. However, if they don’t, the clock is ticking. That’s still a long way off but it’s possible he leaves after the season ends. There’s a good argument to be made that the Avalanche peaked in 2021-22. They haven’t been quite the same since that Cup-winning year.
If the Avalanche show a slow decline and can’t find their way back into the Final over the next two seasons, Makar can look elsewhere to try to win another Stanley Cup. He’s one of the elite defensemen in the NHL, someone who has two Norris Trophies to his name. So far, he’s only won the Cup once. He’ll want to at least match Bobby Orr’s total of two titles. At least he’s surpassed Hockey Hall of Famers Brad Park and Mark Howe: two perennial Norris contenders who never earned a Cup ring.
Makar makes any team better. The Avalanche need him more than he needs them. If he looks to win a Cup elsewhere, he can put his stamp on any team with whom he signs. It needn’t even be a team that’s currently a contender in the summer of 2025.
The Calgary Flames are an obvious spot as he grew up in the area, rooting for the team, and can take a team on the rise and put it over the top. Likewise, the teams with some cap space will have plenty of it next summer (looking at you, Toronto, Detroit, and Chicago), and they can bring in Makar to make a difference.
If Makar doesn’t want to sign an extension and tells the Avalanche he’s testing the market, it makes him the most fascinating player next summer. He’s one of the few skaters who can bet on himself and watch it pay off big time. Yes, it takes a team to win. But he’s about as much of an individual difference maker as you’ll ever see.
The Chain reaction if Makar doesn’t extend next summer
If the Avalanche know they will lose Makar at the end of the 2026-27 season, their instincts say to trade him. A summertime trade can give them a haul, and they won’t lose him for nothing in July. The problem is that with the Avalanche, the Mikko Rantanen trade is still fresh on their minds. Barring a Cup Final run next season, the Rantanen deal could haunt the Avs when Makar comes up for an extension.
Yes, they got a lot for Rantanen but the lack of an elite talent prevented them from making a deep playoff run, especially when they ran into the Dallas Stars, ironic, isn’t it?
It’s why the Avalanche might take a different approach. They’ll not only keep Makar for the season but look to make another Cup run with the core they have. They will be in the playoff picture but might look to add more talent to surround Nathan MacKinnon and Makar, hoping to both win the Cup and re-sign the superstar defenseman next summer.
Here’s an alternate scenario: one where everyone wins. Makar can have his best season yet in 2025-26, wins the Norris and possibly the Hart Trophy as well. Subsequently, he helps the Avalanche not only dominate in the Central Division but also win the Cup. Then the Avs hand Makar a blank check on a maximum-term deal. He fills in the amount and spends his entire prime in Colorado.
A realistic scenario
Regardless of what happens next season, the Avalanche will most likely extend Makar on a seven-year deal that kicks in for 2027-28. If it doesn’t happen next offseason, it should happen at some point during the regular season. However, if negotiations stall and remain unresolved by midseason, all bets are off.
Igor Shesterkin looked poised to play the waiting game but even he caved and signed an extension with the New York Rangers. Then again, this is the same team that didn’t resolve things with Rantanen, and they shook up the hockey world when they traded him. So, if there’s any team that can trade a star player, it’s this team.
The only question is what the final contract will look like. Leon Draisaitl is the current standard for star players but Makar will pass that mark, especially with the cap going up. Given the “capflation”, he won’t get a $14 million average annual value (AAV) deal. Nope, he’ll get a $16 or $18 million AAV deal if not more.
Makar raises the floor for the other elite defensemen in the NHL. Quinn Hughes also comes up on unrestricted free agency in 2027. Either the Canucks or some other club will open the vault. Sure, they risk being a top-heavy roster but they’ll sign their star defenseman and figure everything out from there.
I’m sure the Flames would love the hometown boy. Unfortunately I don’t think they will be challenging for the cup in the near future.