The Los Angeles Angels, mind you, cost Uncle Stan quite a bit more than three bucks during BP.

It took a few decades, but a man named for two Major League Baseball players is about to join the ranks of MLB ownership. Enos (as in Enos Slaughter) Stanley (as in Stan Musial) Kroenke, according to reports, has reached an agreement to buy the Halos from previous owner Arte Moreno, effective in early 2027.

Assuming the deal goes through, that puts Stan a leg up at the next family BBQ on the baseball front, at least. The Penner Sports Group — which is overseen by Walton-Penner and her husband Greg and, like Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, is part of the Walmart financial empire — has owned the Broncos since August 2022 and purchased a 40% stake in the Rockies this past April. Penner said last month that they had no plans to extend that investment, and that control of the flailing baseball franchise will remain with the club’s majority owners, the Monfort family.

Yeah, that last one didn’t sit well with the baseball sickos on the Grading The Week staff, either. Especially after longtime season-ticket holders we know texted us to grouse about receiving notice from the club of a 14% price hike for next season, all while a potentially nuclear work stoppage looms in early 2027.

The Monforts are the Dodgers of leveraging real estate and selling alcohol. Unfortunately, the Rox also play in the same division as the real Dodgers and are therefore trying to avoid becoming the first MLB club since the Mets in 1965 to string together four straight seasons with 100 or more losses.

Kroenke buys Angels, Rox still stink — D

In a perfect world, KSE would’ve bought the Rockies from the Monforts ages ago. The games would fill up those dry summer months of programming on Altitude TV and spice up the evening hours on Altitude Sports Radio. Nikola Jokic would be rocking the owner’s box at Coors Field, a world-class player at a world-class venue,

While KSE’s stewardship of the Nuggets and Avs has at times been mercurial, it’s also been fairly successful from a standings perspective. And given the concurrent sagas of Peyton Watson, whom the Nuggets just traded to Cleveland rather than extend; and Cale Makar, who just landed the largest contract in NHL history, it’ll be fascinating to see how KSE handles payroll in a non-salary-capped sport. (Well, non-capped for now, boys and girls.)

Uncle Stan had reportedly bid for the Dodgers before, and like 99.99% of big-time North American sports franchise purchases, this one feels more like a land grab on Kroenke’s part than some burning desire to become the next Gene Autry. KSE’s SoFi Stadium, home to the Rams and landlords to the Chargers, is the centerpiece of the Hollywood Park entertainment district in Inglewood, Calif.

Magic Johnson, a minority owner of the Dodgers, welcomed Stan into the MLB ownership club via X.com, then thanked him for letting the NBA icon “rent their beautiful yacht named Aquila for 7 years!”

Those Walmart braggin’ rights are in Stan’s court, given that KSE’s got a tentacle in every major North American sports circuit, with the MLB arm (Angels) joining the NFL (Rams), NBA (Nuggets), NHL (Avalanche), and MLS (Rapids).

And given the global reach of the Arsenal brand, only the oceans cover more of planet Earth than the Kroenkes do at the moment.

On the baseball side, wish Stan luck. The Angels are — were? — one of the few MLB ownership situations that might have a more contentious vibe with its fan base than the Rockies do with Denverites. The Halos are on their sixth manager in eight years. The Angels even had their very own Kris Bryant situation in third baseman Anthony Rendon. The former All-Star landed a seven-year, $246-million contract with the Halos after helping Washington win a World Series in 2019 — then promptly fell apart. The infielder, now 36 years old, has spent this season away from the club, yet hasn’t formally retired.

Rendon’s agent? Scott Boras. Yep — the same guy who represents KB23. Small world, isn’t it? If nothing else, the GTW sickos are looking forward to watching Mike Trout run around in a Jokic jersey or a Nathan MacKinnon sweater soon.

That mission was accomplished years ago for the Colorado Avalanche, and Cale Makar’s commitment to an eight-year, $163.2 million contract on Friday has ensured the club’s franchise-level players are locked in together for at least the next five seasons.

“We were trying to find a way collaboratively with the Avalanche to get Cale to a level commensurate with his standing in the league and his accomplishments and where we think the cap is going to go over the term of the contract, but also to push it only so far as it wouldn’t handicap the team’s ability to win championships,” Makar’s agent, Brian Bartlett, told The Denver Post.

“It wasn’t particularly contentious and grinding. There were a lot of different pieces that went into it. It was a lot about how did we want to do this? I don’t think there was ever a question about Cale wanting to spend his entire career here.”

But, as this core group of Avs has found out, dynasties are really hard to come by.

Winning the Stanley Cup in 2022 has not begat a string of championships. Makar’s contract ensures the superstars will stay together, but at a significant cost. The salary cap is expected to keep rising, but how will the Avs continue to compete for the Stanley Cup?

“I mean the game is in great shape. Contracts are going to go up, as they should,” Avs president/general manager Joe Sakic said. “You have Nathan [MacKinnon], you got Marty [Necas] signed long term; it makes it easier on your other decisions.”

What does the financial future look like for the Avs? Let’s dig into it.

2026-27: Still in the mix

The Makar contract didn’t affect Colorado’s cap sheet for this season, but it does make it clear that last season and this one are the best chances for this core group to win again. It doesn’t mean it can’t happen in 2028 and beyond, but the math is going to change next year, and the core around MacKinnon, Makar and Necas will likely need to as well.

Val Nichushkin is gone, so the core has already changed. Will Jaden Schwartz plus potential trade deadline additions be enough to overcome the loss of a unique, two-way force?

2027-28: The Lehkonen contract

This could happen well before next summer, but what happens with Artturi Lehkonen will have a large say in how the Avs proceed next offseason. Lehkonen is in the final year of a very team-friendly contract. He’s been worth much more than $4.5 million per season, regardless of where the cap ceiling was at.

But he’s also going to be 32 years old next year, and it’s fair to wonder how well and how long his “sacrificial lamb” style of play will remain at the level the Avs will need it to be at to justify a hefty raise. Like Nichushkin, Lehkonen would also be a very hard player to replace, and not having either of those guys would alter the calculus of how the Avs can compete for the Cup.

The rest of the roster is mostly intact for the 2027-28 season. The Avs currently have about $11.6 million in cap space, with Makar signed for 2027-28, and the league projects the cap to rise to $113.5 million. If Lehkonen eats up a lot of that, replacing Nicolas Roy, Brent Burns and Scott Wedgewood will likely involve younger, cheaper players.

2028-29: The last dance, for real?

Brock Nelson and Josh Manson have two years left on their contracts. We don’t know what the cap ceiling will look like in 2028-29 and beyond. If it continues to spike by $9-10 million per year beyond next season, that will help top-heavy clubs like the Avs.

NHL agent Allan Walsh in March for 2028-29. Colorado has seven forwards — MacKinnon, Necas, Schwartz, Gabe Landeskog, Nazem Kadri, Logan O’Connor and Parker Kelly — under contract already for that year, plus young forwards Gavin Brindley, Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L’Heureux are all restricted free agents.

The Avs need a young forward or two to pop as a development success, but if it happens, that will also cost more to keep them. If the cap gets to $123 million, the Avs currently would have about $36 million to fill out the roster, minus what Lehkonen potentially gets (and other additions).

Replacing Nelson, in particular, could be a $10 million proposition by then if the Avs don’t find a younger, cost-controlled No. 2/3 center by then. Manson is also currently signed at below-market value.

2029-30: A new era

If the Avs are going to compete for the Cup in 2030, there will be almost certainly be drastic changes to the roster between now and then.

The age of key players around MacKinnon, Makar and Necas could be an issue at any point in the near future, really, but nearly all of the current outer-circle core players will be old by NHL standards by July 2029. Devon Toews and Brett Kulak will be 35 and heading into the final years of their contract.

Landeskog, Kadri and Schwartz will all be free agents, and all will be 36 or older by then. It’s fair to project that MacKinnon, Makar and Necas will all still be great players in 2029, but the Avs are going to have to retool the roster around them to remain a contender … or brace for a potential decline period with the hopes of building another winner around them in the early 2030s.

We kid, of course. Nelson, the Avalanche’s affable center, the Olympic gold-medalist with the graying temples and silky stick, celebrates his 35th birthday in October. His contract expires after the 2027-’28 season. Same with rock-steady defenseman Josh Manson, who also turns 35 in about five weeks.

The Avalanche say their Stanley Cup window is open for the length of Cale Makar’s new eight-year, $163.2-million extension — a pact that runs when All Hail Cale turns 37.

No. 8 deserves every last penny. Makar’s an Av for life, and he deserves that, too. But that also puts the onus now on general manager Joe Sakic to make sure Cale’s life doesn’t turn miserable after ’28.

It takes a village to lift Lord Stanley. Even if the NHL salary cap keeps climbing, Sakic will have 39.2% of his available spending for ’27-28 locked up in just three players: Makar ($20.4 million), Nathan MacKinnon ($12.6 million); and Martin Necas ($11.5 million).

You win Presidents’ Trophies with your top two lines. You win Stanley Cups with your bottom two.

The Avs look great with the former. It’s the latter that worries you.

The depth to grind through eight killer weeks of playoff hockey, the best, and hardest, postseason in North America, is going to have to come cheap — or cheaper, at least — in order to balance the books for the second half of Makar’s mega-contract.

Which means finding and developing draft picks you keep instead of shipping them out at the trade deadline. Which means landing more Logan O’Connors to spice up your spine of Cale, Nate and Marty. Which means rolling up your sleeves as an organization to get busy building a beast for Makar 2.0.

“I’m not the one that gets to manage the team, so I let (Sakic) do that,” Makar quipped Monday at the Inverness Denver Hotel, where he and Sakic took questions a few days after agreeing to (for now) the biggest contract in NHL history.

“But think for myself, obviously, everybody talks about this window that we’re in right now, the ability that we have to win. And yeah, we feel that. But at the same time, I think that window is extended — I think my term of the (length of my) deal should reflect kind of how I feel this team should go, success-wise, and the opportunity that we’re going to have over that time to win championships.”

The Panthers won two Cups with two players (goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and center Aleksander Barkov) making $10 million each. Yet no NHL team has snatched Lord Stanley with a roster featuring multiple guys making $11 million or more. Sakic has two now (MacKinnon, Necas), with three, on paper, starting next year, when Makar’s extension kicks in.

Conventional hockey wisdom so far says that top-heavy rosters are good for fantasy leagues — but tend to flame out pretty quick on the postseason stage, when referees’ whistles get swallowed and the middle of the ice starts to resemble a clogged artery.

I asked Sakic Monday about that very argument, the fear among Avs fans that paying for greatness could push Makar and MacKinnon farther away from another parade. His response was unequivocal.

“(I) probably disagree with that statement,” Super Joe replied. “You can’t win without superstars.

“Yeah, you need depth. You (also) need your team playing really well at the right time when it comes to playoffs. You need bounces, but you need your players to be healthy. We ran into the injury bug a little bit last year, especially with Cale.

“We had a bad week (against Vegas) that costed us, but we had a team that was built to win. It didn’t happen, and we expect our team to be built to win for a long time … unless you have guys like Cale and Nate on your team, it makes it a lot harder.”

All true. On the other hand, have you looked at the Penguins lately? Pittsburgh rebuilt a young core on the fly around veterans Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang last winter — putting up 98 regular-season points (41-25-16) and returning to the postseason for the first time since 2022. The Penguins got 18% of their goals from players 24 years or younger, including Egor Chinakhov (18 goals), Ben Kindel (17), Elmer Soderblom (five) and Rutger McGroarty (three).

Per Spotrac.com, — or composed of players drafted by that club. The Avs’ percentage of “self-drafted” players was 20.9% …. second lowest in the league, ahead of only Boston’s 19%.

Only four teams were below the 30% “self-drafted” threshold, and three were among those you’d expect: Colorado, Boston, Edmonton (21.3%) and Florida (28.3%). Pittsburgh was at 38%.

When it comes to chasing Cup No. 2, we all know No. 8 can do the job.

He sure as heck can’t do it alone.

“And yeah, it’s been a couple of tough endings (in the playoffs) recently,” Makar noted.

“And for myself, obviously, the pressure is going to be amplified. But at the same time, that’s within me to answer, to even bring up my game. And then to find pieces around that, those depth (guys), that are going to outperform in playoffs, that are going to bring us up even more … it’s exciting when we have all the top guys like that. But when we have a full team of guys, I think that’s the true confidence that it gave me to basically be here, hopefully, for the long, long, long haul.”

For Nelson, 54 may well be the new 30. But Makar needs some fresh blood if that contract is to age as well as a franchise hopes and a city dreams.

That has started to change, and this summer will be remembered as a significant move forward for the league’s top talents. Cale Makar’s new contract with the Colorado Avalanche was the latest and largest move to reset the top of the market: an eight-year, $163.2 million pact that, for now, is the richest in NHL history.

The second number in the contract elicited plenty of reactions around the league shortly after the deal was announced Friday, but the first number — the term — was a big part of why this contract could prove to be a shrewd one for the Avs.

“It was about getting to a good, fair number and then providing that term to give some cost certainty to the team to be able to build around it and get through some of those years where the bigger contracts are coming up,” said Brian Bartlett, who along with his father Steve and brother Scott, represents Makar. “It gives (the Avs) flexibility instead of coming up the same time (Nathan MacKinnon) does or the year before Nate does and then all of a sudden the number is $26 million, $27 million instead of locking in at today’s prices.

“It is high enough to still be world-changing, generational-changing money but then to lock in for eight years was the give-back in exchange for the high AAV.”

That was a theme of Colorado’s press conference Monday afternoon, when Avs president/general manager Joe Sakic and Makar discussed the new contract. Makar is the NHL’s first $20 million man, with a $20.4 million cap hit that begins in 2027-28 and runs through 2035.

The bet from the Avs is that others will soon join Makar and pass him as the cap ceiling continues to rise. The NHL went through a stagnant period after the COVID-19 pandemic, but the ceiling is now expected to spike annually in the coming seasons.

“Taking the eight years … you see a lot of deals trending a little bit shorter now with some of the bigger contracts,” Makar said. “I felt like, for me, it was kind of that trade-off of wanting to give the team stability over the entire contract and being able to build around that. For myself too, showing my commitment here and how much that I’ve loved it here and everything. I think for me that was never a question. I kind of always wanted those eight years.”

Both sides said the initial conversations about the contract began in early July, when Makar was first eligible to sign a new contract. There was a deadline if the deal was going to be eight years — Sept. 15 is the last day players are eligible for them before a new seven-year maximum arrives with a new collective bargaining agreement on Sept. 16.

Still, waiting until later in the summer helped this deal land where it did. Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov signing for $17 million per year this past September signaled a new era for superstar contracts, but Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson and Macklin Celebrini all signing for between $15 million and $18.8 million helped cement where things are trending for franchise players.

“The market changed drastically this summer,” Bartlett said. “Some of those contracts were more than people expected. Part of it was a conscious effort on our part to not rush into anything. There was no urgency to get it done two months before camp instead of two weeks before. We wanted to kind of wait and see what the market would look like, and it probably made the team feel more comfortable about it too.

“I think it helped everyone feel comfortable with where the trajectory of salaries are going. While it is a really big number, we have every confidence in Cale and his ability that at some point as this plays out, he’s going to be underpaid during this contract at some point and maybe sooner rather than later.”

Now the Avs have their top three players — MacKinnon, Makar, and Martin Necas — all locked in together for the next five seasons. Their combined cap hit for the first four years of Makar’s deal will be $44.5 million. That’s a lot — easily the highest in the NHL right now — but other clubs will eventually close that gap.

They will account for about 39% of the cap in 2027-28, and that share should decrease each year going forward. If the Avs do not win the Stanley Cup again in the near future, critics will likely point to the top-heavy construction as one of the issues.

Sakic is willing to take that bet and see how it plays out.

“You can’t win without superstars,” Sakic said. “Yeah, you need depth. You need your team playing really well at the right time. When it comes to playoffs, you need bounces, but you need your players to be healthy. We ran into the injury bug a little bit last year, especially with Cale. We had a bad week that cost us, but we had a team that was built to win. Didn’t happen, and we expect our team to be built to win for a long time.

“Unless you have guys like Cale and Nate on your team, it makes it a lot harder.”

Cale Makar and the Colorado Avalanche delivered the latest shockwave on Friday afternoon. The Avs and their franchise defenseman agreed to the largest contract in NHL history, an eight-year, $163.2 million pact that makes Makar the league’s first $20 million man and keeps him under contract with Colorado through 2035.

“First reaction … wow!” former NHL coach Bruce Boudreau said. “It wasn’t long ago that $163 million to a hockey player would never be thought of. That¶¶Òõap NBA territory, so good for him.”

Makar is widely considered the NHL’s premier defenseman. He has won the Norris Trophy twice, while being named a finalist six times in his first seven seasons. He also won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year and the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs in 2022, when the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup.

“A unicorn deserves to break the bank,” TSN analyst Jon Goyens said. “He helps you win every night, helps you win Cup(s) and helps you sell tickets and merchandise.”

The path to a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame is clear, and with good health, Makar will be a first-ballot lock far before this new contract is complete.

“Cale’s career to date is on par with many of the best defensemen to ever play in the history of the NHL,” ESPN analyst Kevin Weekes said. “He’s as great a person as he is a player — transformational. Love that the Avs recognized that from Day 1, and this new contract reflects that amazing partnership between him, the organization and the fans.”

Four different players have held the title “most expensive player in the NHL” since the Carolina Hurricanes lifted the Cup to complete the 2025-26 season. It was Kirill Kaprizov, with his $17 million cap hit, when the season ended.

But the Anaheim Ducks matched a 5-year, $90 million offer sheet for Leo Carlsson from the Philadelphia Flyers in early July. Carlsson, at $18 million, will have the highest cap hit in the league this coming season.

Three weeks later, Macklin Celebrini signed a five-year $94 deal that kicks in next season. His $18.8 million cap hit was set to pace the league, but Makar has already eclipsed him, and Minnesota’s Quinn Hughes could as well.

“Love it for him,” MSG Network analyst Cory Schneider said. “(Makar) is worth every penny and the financial landscape of the NHL world has evolved overnight, so this is the cost of doing business to keep the best player in the world — 1B to Connor McDavid as 1A. Love seeing NHL players signing deals worth $160 million overall too. It’s good for the game.”

Makar and Hughes were in the same situation when the offseason began. They are considered the two best defensemen in the league, and both are entering the final year of their current contracts.

The big difference is that Makar was drafted by the Avalanche and has already forged a legacy in Denver. Hughes was a huge trade addition early last season for the Wild. Minnesota is under immense pressure to convince Hughes to stay, but also doesn’t have the long-term equity with the player.

“I was born 10 years too soon!” said Bryce Salvador, a former NHL captain and defenseman for the New Jersey Devils, who now works for MSG Network. “It’s great to see the league is healthy, and provided the revenue continues to grow, players are going to continue to make more money — as they should.”

In the short term, the Avs have to be elated that Makar is signed and for the maximum eight years. It was hard to imagine Makar’s situation ever reaching a point like Mikko Rantanen’s did, but that memory is still plenty fresh.

There’s at least a handful of players in this league worth $20 million, but there might not be two handfuls. And the Avs have two of them. Keeping Makar with Nathan MacKinnon remains the bedrock of everything. The rest can be figured out.

“Not really surprised,” NHL Network analyst E.J. Hardek said. “I figured it was kind of whatever (Makar) wanted to sign for. Probably pressure as the bar-setter for him to get to a high number. But, he’s a special and very impactful player, so he deserves it.”

Makar’s deal is only $400,000 per year below the maximum he could have signed for — $20.8 million, which is 20 percent of the salary cap ceiling in 2026-27. But he won’t cost nearly 20 percent of the cap in any of the deal.

The cap ceiling is expected to rise to $113.5 million in 2027-28, when Markar’s deal begins. He’ll cost just a shade below 18 percent of the cap in the first year, and then less if the ceiling continues to rise like it has the past few years.

Makar, Celebrini and Carlsson have ushered in a new era of star-level spending. Hughes will soon join them.

It’s clear that Makar being on the roster is valuable at any number. How valuable, by dollars and cents, could depend on how many other defensemen join him and Hughes near the top of the financial food chain.

Zach Werenski, the 2026 Norris Trophy winner, is eligible for a similar megadeal next summer. So is Winnipeg’s No. 1 guy, Josh Morrissey. Miro Heiskanen, Evan Bouchard and Adam Fox are all two years out, along with Calder Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer.

But a lot of the best young defensemen in the league — Lane Hutson, Jackson Lacombe, Moritz Seider, Brock Faber, Noah Dobson, Thomas Harley and Rasmus Dahlin among them — are already locked into long-term contracts and won’t be joining the $ 15-million-plus club until at least halfway through Makar’s new deal.

Think of it like Nikola Jokic. He was absolutely worth $55 million to the Denver Nuggets this past season as one of the best players in the world. But he was even more valuable because 25 players in the league made at least $45 million.

“There are a lot of layers to it,” MSG analyst and 20-year NHL defenseman Ken Danyeko said. “The landscape has changed, as we know. I still think teams have to be careful and not get careless. I know easier said then done. I go by recent history and the balance on teams’ salaries that win Cups — I think that means something.

“Having said that, if there’s a guy you can pay this much, I would think it would be Makar. Best d-man in the league. But for me, that doesn’t mean you pay an above-average d-man $13 to $14 million because Makar set the bar. You have to still draw the line if you are going to have team success.”

The Colorado Avalanche and the superstar defenseman have agreed to an eight-year contract, he announced Friday afternoon . The deal is worth $163.2 million, which makes it the largest in NHL history. It will carry a cap hit of $20.4 million per season.

Makar has one season left on his current deal, a six-year, $54 million pact, which he signed on July 24, 2021. The new contract will start with the 2027-28 season, and runs through 2035.

“Cale is a generational defenseman and his accomplishments speak for themselves,” Avalanche president and general manager Joe Sakic said in a statement. “He is obviously a tremendous competitor and player but even more so a great person, teammate and ambassador for the Avalanche and the Rocky Mountain region. We are beyond thrilled to get this deal done and have Cale in an Avalanche sweater for the next decade.”

Makar’s new contract includes a full no-movement clause, and a total of $127.6 million in signing bonuses. Those one-time payments are made at July 1 every year.

Erik Karlsson has been the highest-paid defenseman for the past six seasons after signing an eight-year, $92 million contract ($11.5 million cap hit) in June 2019. Makar’s former teammate, Bowen Byram, surpassed that deal on July 1 when he signed a six-year, $75 million pact ($12.5 million cap hit) with the Chicago Blackhawks. Karlsson’s average annual value will still be the largest for next season before these new megadeals kick in the following year.

Two young forwards — Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson and San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini — reset the top of the market for all players after that. The Ducks matched a five-year, $90 million offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers, which will make Carlsson the most expensive player in 2026-27 with an $18 million cap hit. Celebrini then signed a five-year, $94 million contract late last month. His deal, with an $18.8 million cap hit, begins in 2027-28.

The No. 4 selection in the 2018 NHL draft, Makar quickly ascended to the top of the sport and hasn’t slowed down since. The two-time Norris Trophy winner will turn 28 on Oct. 30, is a. He has been a finalist in six of his first seven NHL seasons — he and Bobby Orr are the only two players in league history to do that.

Makar also won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2019-20, and was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner when the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022.

The Calgary native won the Alberta Junior Hockey League twice with the Brooks Bandits, including an MVP award. He won the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in college hockey as a sophomore at UMass.

Makar has won the IIHF World Junior Championships and the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off with Canada. He, Nathan MacKinnon and Devon Toews won silver medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.

“I am so excited and humbled to continue to wear the Avalanche sweater and represent this incredible organization and community,” Makar said in a statement. “I look forward to getting back on the ice with my teammates and continuing to work toward our goal of bringing the Stanley Cup back to the Mile High City.”

Makar has 136 goals and 507 points — both franchise records for a defenseman — in 470 career regular-season games. He has 26 goals and 90 points in 90 playoff games. His 1.0 points per postseason contest is fifth all-time in NHL among defensemen with 20-plus games, trailing only Bobby Orr, Evan Bouchard, Brian Leetch and Paul Coffey.

He is one of 14 defensemen with multiple Norris Trophy wins. One more would make him the 10th player with three, and two more would put him in the inner circle of all-time greats with Bobby Orr, Dough Harvey, Nicklas Lidstrom and Ray Bourque.

Makar and Minnesota’s Quinn Hughes, widely considered the two best defensemen in the world, were both in the same situation this offseason — entering the final year of their current contracts and eligible for an extension. Hughes and the Wild have not agreed to a deal.

The NHL’s new collective bargaining agreement begins Sept. 16. The day before is the final day that a player can sign an eight-year contract with his current club. Seven years will be the new maximum moving forward.

It will be about making the Avs’ Cale Makar’s team.

This will be disputed because of the presence of captain Gabe Landeskog and former MVP Nathan MacKinnon.

But a long-term agreement, which is inching closer according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, makes this part of Makar’s legacy. And burden.

He will be here long after Landeskog retires and MacKinnon fades from superstardom.

When you sign a monster contract in your prime and are headed to the Hall of Fame, the pressure is on to deliver another championship.

Two would be even better. But Makar is too great to only hold one Cup.

After a flameout of historical proportions against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Avs reacted with more complacency than urgency.

Operating general manager Joe Sakic made tweaks to the roster, but the heaviest lift involved clearing salary cap space by trading Valeri Nichushkin, Ross Colton and Jack Drury.

The moves made it easier to accommodate Makar. And if you still don’t understand why he is the biggest of deals, follow the money.

Even if he does not finish with the NHL’s highest average annual value for any player — not just a defenseman — the floor should be $17 million. Whether it runs for eight years — a possibility if signed before Sept. 15 — or a shorter period, the financial commitment will explain his significance.

At 27, he is the present and the future.

Makar has never put the Avs in a difficult position, always playing nice, playing well and playing hurt. He has all the leverage and could be demanding, cackling to the armored truck as he boxes in the organization.

He would never do that. The only thing Makar regularly features more than ability is humility.

But a new deal means he can never just be one of the guys again. No blending into the curtains. If healthy, no forgettable postseasons.

Like Makar, several Avs players were hurt against the Golden Knights, which provides a reason, not an excuse for their elimination.

It does not make it any less embarrassing. The Knights suffocated and frustrated the Avs, turning the middle of the ice into a barnyard for pigs to slop.

After Las Vegas completed its Legion of Broom, MacKinnon could not be bothered to meet the press despite multiple requests. He was injured, but it was not his larynx. He should have talked. It is part of the responsibility that comes with his stature.

Makar waited at his locker, taking questions. He expressed disappointment about the exit, about not doing more, even though he looked like he had one working shoulder in his limited participation.

He was hardly why the Avs came up snake eyes. Brock Nelson, Nichushkin, Scott Wedgewood, MacKinnon and Brent Burns all deserved blame for the collapse. And, of course, so did the coach.

But when Makar addressed the media, it signaled something important. He took responsibility for the mess and vouched for Jared Bednar when I asked him about the possibility of the boss getting fired.

When Sakic held the season-ending press conference several days later, he admitted Bednar wasn’t going anywhere because the players had his back.

We know Makar wanted him back.

Makar’s defense.

Makar’s power play.

Makar’s pressure.

Don’t get lost in the minutiae. The term will not be the issue with any Makar contract.

We all assume that Makar is going to retire as a member of the Avalanche. The organization wants this, and Sakic declared it, saying, “Cale is going to finish his career here.”

This is the likely outcome because of his talent, leadership and performance.

Makar has earned every cent of his money. But when you reach his level, the conversation shifts to debates about greatness.

It would be a shame if what is happening to the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic were to become Makar’s fate. Jokic will not be considered among the top 10 all-time players without another title. And he does not feel close as the Nuggets are trapped by unmovable contracts, age and injuries.

Makar could be kind and give the Avs some breathing room on his extension. The only reason to do that is to help win a championship. Stan Kroenke doesn’t need a charitable act to run the franchise, given his $26 billion portfolio valuation of his sports franchises.

Unlike the Nuggets, the Avs are right there.

Colorado is considered a favorite to win the Stanley Cup by several sportsbooks, and no worse than third behind the reigning champion Hurricanes and the former champion Panthers.

We know the Avs will play well during the regular season. They always do. No team was better a year ago, and the President’s Trophy got them a great seed and broken dreams.

The referendum will not arrive until the postseason.

Makar has performed his best when it matters most, leading the Avs to the 2022 Stanley Cup. He delivered 29 points in 20 games to net the Conn Smythe Trophy.

That seems like a long time ago.

Bruins legendary defenseman Bobby Orr won two Stanley Cups.

It is a reasonable ask of Makar.

We know he can do it. The difference moving forward with an eventual new contract is that we will expect him to.

The Avs will be on one of the national networks 16 times in the United States after Disney and TNT announced their broadcast schedules Wednesday for the upcoming campaign. That total is ninth in the league and second in the Western Conference behind Minnesota’s 17 appearances. Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins are the co-leaders with 20 national games, along with the Boston Bruins.

Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and the Avalanche set a franchise record with 121 points this past season en route to the Presidents’ Trophy before a stunning four-game sweep by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final.

Colorado’s season opener, Sept. 30 at Ball Arena against the Los Angeles Kings, will be one of seven Avalanche games on TNT this season. Another is the 2027 NHL Winter Classic, which will be on New Year’s Eve at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City against the Utah Mammoth.

The Avs’ first appearance on ESPN will be Oct. 13 at Dallas against Mikko Rantanen, Matt Duchene and the rival Stars. That night is part of the NHL Frozen Frenzy when all 32 clubs will play with games starting at 15-minute intervals to stagger them throughout the night.

Colorado’s lone appearance on ABC will be April 10, when Quinn Hughes and the Minnesota Wild come to Denver for the final game of the regular season.

Here’s a look at when the Avalanche will be on national television this season:

• Wednesday, Sept. 30: vs. Los Angeles, TNT
• Tuesday, Oct. 13: at Dallas, ESPN
• Wednesday, Oct. 14: vs. Dallas, TNT
• Thursday, Nov. 5: vs. Nashville, ESPN+
• Tuesday, Dec. 1: at Nashville, TNT
• Tuesday, Dec. 8: at Philadelphia, ESPN+
• Thursday, Dec. 31: at Utah, TNT*
• Tuesday, Jan. 12: at Pittsburgh, ESPN+
• Tuesday, Feb. 9: at Carolina, ESPN+
• Wednesday, Feb. 17: at Edmonton, TNT
• Sunday, Feb. 28: at Chicago, ESPN
• Monday, March 15: vs. Edmonton, ESPN
• Wednesday, March 17: vs. Minnesota, TNT
• Tuesday, March 23: vs. Utah, ESPN+
• Sunday, April 4: at Minnesota, TNT
• Saturday, April 10: vs. Minnesota, ABC

* 2027 NHL Winter Classic at Rice-Eccles Stadium

Joe Sakic, back in the general manager role, wrapped up business for the 2025-26 season quickly in July. There were three key members of the organization entering the final year of their contracts then. All three — Cale Makar, Artturi Lehkonen and coach Jared Bednar — are still without extensions about three weeks before training camp begins.

Sakic, speaking Sunday ahead of the second annual Avalanche-University of Denver alumni game at Magness Arena, made it clear he is not concerned.

Makar, a two-time Norris Trophy winner and co-face of the franchise alongside Nathan MacKinnon, is expected to sign the largest contract in franchise history.

Avalanche 2026-27 schedule: Best matchups, toughest stretches in NHL’s new 84-game slate

"Not really an update. We continue talking," Sakic said when asked about No. 8. "I'm pretty confident that he'll be signed before the season starts.

"I'm not worried about it. I don't think Cale is worried about it. The dialogue has been great. When there's an agreement, we'll be glad to announce it. Hopefully something will be done before the start of training camp."

Lehkonen has been a critical member of the club since arriving ahead of the 2022 trade deadline. The 31-year-old Lehkonen had 21 goals and 48 points in 70 games last season, but was injured during the second round of the 2026 playoffs and did not have his typical postseason impact after returning in the conference finals against Vegas.

Bednar is the most accomplished coach in franchise history, and is entering his 11th season at the helm. He's the second-longest tenured coach in the league, behind only Tampa Bay's Jon Cooper. There have been calls to fire Bednar from outside the organization after stunning postseason endings each of the past two seasons, but management and ownership have stood firm in its support of the coach both times.

"Everything's great," Sakic said of his relationship with Bednar. "Not worried about that. There's been coaches, been players that have entered the last year of their deals before, and there's going to be in the future. Not really concerned about that, and I don't think Jared is either.

Makar is entering the final season of a six-year, $54 million contract. His next deal could be worth twice as much per season or more. The financial environment in the NHL has been changing rapidly in recent seasons as the salary cap ceiling has experienced unprecedented spikes after years of post-COVID pandemic stagnation.

There is also a new collective bargaining agreement coming in the NHL, and one part matters for Makar and the Avs. The current maximum contract length is eight years to re-sign a player and seven to sign with a new club. That will change with the CBA, and the last day Makar and the Avs could agree to an eight-year pact is Sept. 15, one day before the new CBA begins.

"No, not really worried about (that deadline)," Sakic said. "I think when there's a deal announced or signed and agreed to, both sides will be comfortable with whatever term it is."

Makar and fellow defensive superstar Quinn Hughes are both expected to reset the market for elite defensemen. The top contract for a defenseman in 2026-27 will be Pittsburgh's Erik Karlsson with an $11.5 million cap hit. Former Avs defenseman Bo Byram has signed a new deal with Chicago that starts in 2027-28 that carries a $12.5 million cap hit.

Hughes and Makar are expected to blow past that. The landscape has changed, even since Byram's surprising mega deal was announced July 1. The Anaheim Ducks matched a five-year, $90 million offer sheet for center Leo Carlsson in early July, then the San Jose Sharks signed their franchise star Macklin Celebrini to a five-year, $94 million pact. At $18.8 million per season, Celebrini has the largest contract in league history on a per-year basis.

Whether or not Makar and/or Hughes top that remains to be seen.

"I think everybody's projecting where the cap is going, and that's why you're seeing these contracts at a certain level," Sakic said. "Everybody wants to lock up their young stars, and that's what is happening."

While camp is a few weeks away, the Avs' projected lineup looks pretty similar to the one that won the Presidents' Trophy with a franchise-record 121 points before the stunning conference finals sweep by the Golden Knights. Sakic and Co. re-signed defensemen Brent Burns and Brett Kulak, so the defense corps and goaltending will be the same.

There were changes up front, notably trades of Valeri Nichushkin, Ross Colton and Jack Drury to provide some salary cap flexibility. Younger players will compete to replace Drury and Colton, while the Avs signed free agent Jaden Schwartz to a three-year, $9.75 million deal to fit somewhere among the top-nine forwards and ostensibly replace Nichushkin.

"We like the roster," Sakic said. "I think we have a good enough team to compete for the Stanley Cup. It's a long season. It's a process. Just got to try and get better every day. Obviously, there's some changes, but there's changes with every roster, every year. But we have the core here and it's a great core. They have a standard and we expect and assume that everyone's going to live up to that standard."

High-profile trades, trade requests and multiple offer sheets have breathed fire into an offseason that also features one of the weakest free agent classes the league has seen. There was a big shakeup in Denver at the start, with Chris MacFarland off to Nashville. But Joe Sakic and the Colorado Avalanche have stayed out of the fray, mostly.

The Avs look, well, a lot like the Avs from a year ago. After the best regular-season in franchise history followed by a Western Conference flameout, the current status of the roster is going to produce a variety of opinions.

One outer-circle core player and two depth players are gone. Three likely replacements have arrived. Sakic made it pretty clear the plan is to reinforce the roster in February, not early July.

There’s still plenty of time left in this offseason for a further shakeup, but Sakic sounded content after his efficient July 1 work was complete. There is still some business to be done before training camp begins.

There are still some questions to answer this offseason. Here are the biggest ones:

1. When will Cale Makar sign his next contract?

First, old friend Bowen Byram and the Chicago Blackhawks surprised everyone, both with what the team paid to acquire the former Avs defenseman and then the contract — six years at $12.5 million per year.

Byram, for now, would be the highest-paid defenseman in NHL history when his contract begins July 1, 2027. But that distinction isn’t likely to last long. Makar and Quinn Hughes are expected to sign for more this summer.

Then, Leo Carlsson sent shockwaves around the hockey world by signing an offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers — five years, $18 million per year. He will be the highest-paid player during the 2026-27 season, whether he stays with the Anaheim Ducks or switches coasts.

How does either of these deals affect Makar? Probably not a lot, but both of those moves have primed everyone for the new financial reality moving forward.

Makar signed his most recent contract on July 24, 2021. That was just a few days before he would have been a restricted free agent. He can be an unrestricted free agent July 1, 2027. Sakic said there will be no such suspense this time.

2. Will Artturi Lehkonen have a new contract by training camp?

‘The Sacrificial Lamb’ is the Avs’ other key potential unrestricted free agent in 2027. He’ll be 32 years old when the next contract starts, but Lehkonen has always been a critical cog in this Colorado machine, and even more so now with Valeri Nichushkin off to Columbus.

This could be a tricky contract for the Avs. His value often surpasses his traditional output. His availability is sometimes an issue. How much longer will he be a critical, impactful player? The Avs do not have any young players who can just step in and replace him. The sooner the better for the Avs on the contract, considering the rising cap ceiling and the cost of business is going up around the league.

3. What about Jared Bednar?

NHL coaches rarely coach on the final year of a contract. Bednar is about to start the final year of his current deal.

Will there be an extension before training camp? Sakic did not give a hard “yes” to a question about that earlier in the offseason, but both he and Kroenke Sports and Entertainment vice chairman Josh Kroenke voiced their support for Bednar shortly after the season ended.

“We’ll figure out later in the summer on all that stuff, but I don’t think he’s worried about it,” Sakic said. “He shouldn’t be worried about it. The contracts will come when they come.”

4. Will there be any more front office changes?

This offseason began with MacFarland leaving the club to become president and general manager of the Nashville Predators. Sakic now has the same role(s) with the Avs, adding GM duties.

MacFarland has traded for or signed several players from the organization, but he also poached Dawson Sprigings — one of the key members of the Avs’ analytics department. Sprigings is now an assistant to the GM in Music City.

The Avs quickly announced two analytics openings — one to replace Sprigings and one to expand Arik Parnass’ department.

Will the Avs have a new GM by the start of training camp? Will anyone in the current front office get a promotion? Will there be a new assistant GM hired to effectively replace MacFarland, or will Sakic’s inner circle remain one person smaller moving forward?

5. Who is coaching the Eagles?

Colorado’s AHL affiliate lost two members of the coaching staff after the Eagles had their most successful AHL season in franchise history. Assistant Kim Weiss, the second woman to be behind the bench of an AHL club, is now the head coach of the expansion PWHL team in Las Vegas.

Former head coach Mark Letestu is also heading to Sin City, for an assistant role with the Vegas Golden Knights. The Eagles will have their third head coach in three seasons, with Aaron Schneekloth also on an NHL bench in Seattle.

6. Who is playing for the Eagles?

It’s been a tough few days for a group that lost in Game 7 of the Western Conference Final. Alex Barre-Boulet and Tye Felhaber have signed with San Jose. Jack Ahcan and Chase Bradley went to Nashville with MacFarland. Jason Polin signed with Buffalo. Ivan Ivan was traded to Boston.

T.J. Tynan signed an AHL deal with Springfield. Valtteri Puustinen is off to Sweden. Jacob MacDonald, Ronnie Attard and Danil Gushchin are all free agents, the latter not qualified so he’s a UFA like the other two.

That’s six of the team’s top eight scorers from the regular season gone, plus a few other key veterans. As it stands right now, the Eagles look like they will be a much younger team next season. There are nine players who were aged 26 or older that saw Calder Cup Playoffs action who are no longer on the roster.

There were some reinforcements added. Forwards Vinnie Hinostroza and Adam Beckman, plus defenseman Domenick Fensore will all likely be staples for the Eagles.

One spot where the Eagles should excel is in net, with Trent Miner back and two young Russians — top prospect Ilya Nabokov and recent signing Nikita Novosyolov ready for their North American debuts. There will also be a few young forwards who do not make the Avs roster who will likely see big minutes for the Eagles.

Getting younger might mean fewer wins, but it could also mean more playing time for guys who might play for the big club at various points in the season.

7. Is this really everyone?

The Avs have 12 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies on one-way contracts. Sakic made it clear they want to bank as much cap space as possible ahead of the trade deadline.

So … are the Avs really done? There could still be a couple of players added with the Eagles in mind.

There are also a lot of competent NHL players still unsigned. The prices on most, if not all, of them is likely dropping as the days before training camp tick away.

Colorado also has had some success by signing free agents late in the cycle. Jack Johnson and Joel Kiviranta both originally arrived on player-tryout contracts (PTOs) for training camp. The Avs didn’t sign Victor Olofsson until Aug. 20 a year ago.

If this really is everyone, and the Avs do start next season with the 12 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies currently on one-way contracts, they would have $1,279,159 of cap space on opening night and $5,847,584 of projected space on trade deadline day, .