NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 29, 2026
The Avalanche signed Cale Makar to the largest contract in league history, Macklin Celebrini talks about his new contract, the questions facing the Maple Leafs, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche signed Cale Makar to an eight-year contract extension worth a league-record average annual value of $20.4 million.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (NHL Images)
Makar is in the final season of a six-year deal with a $9 million AAV. The 27-year-old is considered the NHL’s top defenseman. In his seven NHL seasons, he’s been a finalist for the Norris Trophy as the league’s best blueliner six times, winning the award in 2021-22 and 2024-25.
Makar led the Avalanche to the 2022 Stanley Cup, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. He also won the Calder Memorial Trophy as Rookie of the Year. He’s also been a First Team All-Star twice (2021-22 and 2024-25) and a Second Team All-Star in 2020-21 and 2025-26.
SPORTSNET: NHL insider Frank Seravalli believes Makar’s new contract solidifies the landscape for new NHL contracts.
Makar’s new deal comes during a summer when AAVs for elite players have been rising with the salary cap. Leo Carlsson of the Anaheim Ducks is earning an $18 million AAV on a five-year offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers (which the Ducks matched), and San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini will take home an AAV of $18.8 million on a five-year extension.
THE DENVER POST: Before Makar signed his extension, Troy Renck felt he’d be worth whatever the Avalanche might pay him. However, that hefty new deal also comes with the weight of bringing the Stanley Cup back to Colorado.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Ryan Lambert wondered what effect Makar’s record-setting deal would have on Quinn Hughes’ contract extension talks with the Minnesota Wild. Like Makar, Hughes is among the league’s elite defensemen, and he could use it as a benchmark for his own contract.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I said earlier this month that Makar or Hughes would become the league’s first $20-million player. Given Makar’s resume, it’s no surprise that he got this deal, and it will set the bar for Hughes’ next deal.
Makar won’t have difficulty meeting expectations that come with this league-leading (for now) contract. However, winning the Cup won’t be easy. The Avalanche lack promising young talent and have a depleted supporting cast around Makar and core players Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, Gabriel Landeskog, and Devon Toews.
THE MERCURY NEWS: San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini made his first public comments since signing his five-year, $94-million contract with what was then a league-leading AAV of $18.8 million.
Celebrini said he wanted to ensure his new deal would still leave the Sharks with salary-cap flexibility to keep its young roster core intact and competitive for the long term.
“That was at the front of my mind throughout the whole negotiation,” Celebrini said. “I wanted to make sure that with where the cap was going, that the number made sense to the team first and foremost, making sure that everyone can get paid, and that we’re in a good spot to build the way we want to build.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini earned that expensive extension by establishing himself as a superstar and the foundation of the Sharks within his first two NHL seasons.
The other promising young Sharks (Will Smith, Michael Misa, Igor Chernyshov, Ivar Stenberg, Sam Dickinson, and Yaroslav Askarov) should be more affordable re-signings. However, if any of them have big breakout performances this season, their new contracts could become much more expensive.
NHL.COM: The biggest question facing the Toronto Maple Leafs is how long it will take for the roster to gel on and off the ice after so many offseason changes.
The Maple Leafs underwent significant changes to their front office staff and their coaching staff. Their roster was also shaken up, with goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, defenseman Darren Raddysh, and forwards such as Nick Paul, Jack Roslovic, and rookie winger Gavin McKenna among their key additions.
How well McKenna adjusts to playing under the hockey microscope in Toronto and whether team captain Auston Matthews can rebound from season-ending knee surgery are the other big questions entering this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: On paper, the Maple Leafs appear to be a better team than they were last season. However, if the new additions struggle to adjust to life in hockey’s most demanding market, and if Matthews’ performance is below expectations, it could become a long, unhappy season that leads to a rebuild instead of further retooling.
DAILY FACEOFF: The Columbus Blue Jackets named Trevor Timmins as director of amateur scouting and Ville Siren as director of European scouting.
THE ATHLETIC: Arizona State University defenseman and St. Louis Blues prospect Matthew Mayich collapsed during an offseason military-style workout last Thursday, sending him to the hospital with a heat-related illness.
Mayich reportedly remains in hospital in critical condition. He and his teammates were participating in a 60-minute morning workout outdoors at Sun Angel Stadium. The temperature was 84.2 degrees Fahrenheit when first responders were called. The instructor is a former military service member and non-University employee.
The incident has sparked criticism of Greg Powers, the team’s head coach. Meanwhile, the practice of military-style workouts is under scrutiny.
84 degrees in humidity less Arizona is pleasant. What kind of work out were they doing?!?!?
Question: If a player goes on LTIR, what is the average salary that is used this year that the team can use for a replacement player?
NOT SE-LTIR, but a shorter duration.
My comment on the collapse of Mayich would be
hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Perhaps have a water break every 10 minutes depending on what the exercise is. I am not a medical professional or have
any medical background. Just common sense. I could be very wrong.
Fred020, way, way back when i was playing football, if we were practicing … or playing … in hot weather, the team doled out salt pills as well as water.
Today, in similar conditions and situations, the “salt pill” has long been discarded, explained in this excerpt from John Hopkins Medicine:
“When you sweat heavily under heavy football gear, you lose massive amounts of both water and sodium. Drinking only plain water dilutes your remaining blood sodium levels. This imbalance causes muscle cramps, severe fatigue, and a dangerous, life-threatening condition called hyponatremia. Instead of swallowable salt tablets, you should use dissolved electrolyte supplements or sports drinks to stay safe and maintain performance.”
Sounds good, so I was partially wrong.
The question remains whether this was done.
You can bet that that question will be first and foremost in the investigation.
“Military style workouts”??? In temps close to 85F??? Are they outta their effing minds?
I am sorry, I just don’t believe all these guiding in the monster deals are with the money. Just that much less to build a team and a greater disparity between the rich guys and many of the remaining players in the locker room. Makar’s average ice time last year was under 25 minutes a game.
I am just having a difficult time accepting these new contracts are truly worth it. Then again, look at the danger (Anaheim) if not paying up?
Carlsson, no. Makar and Celebrini, absolutely yes! You have to pay the true elite players what they are worth. What they are worth is based on the current market and salary cap. Beyond delivering stats, elite players deliver shots at winning Stanley Cups.
I would make an exception for Celebrini
My sentiments exactly.
Years ago the Leafs thought they were being smart by signing their young players to long term deals with the expectation the cap would rise each year. Then when it didn’t, they couldn’t build a roster properly.
Sorry I have a hard time trying to deal with this. Where the old saying take one for the team I guess that doesn’t apply any more.
Nobody is worth $20 mill a year not even Bobby Orr or Wayne. Had to get on soap box Yes I will continue to watch my bruins. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth both myself and my wife work we do okay but we couldn’t save a half million unless we decide to do two jobs each then maybe when we retire we might have a tidy sum. I’m only fairly young yet so I got a while to go. That’s my only thought sorry to drone on.
John
Can’t begrudge them what the market will pay. Hockey players still the lowest paid of all major sports. Probably the hardest sport to play and short career average for most players. Majority have life long physical injury when done
Ps. Orr was the 1st million $ deal in nhl when million was a lot of $$
Umm… Orr’s million dollars came in a five-year contract ($200k/yr). It was many years later that Gretzky signed his monster deal with LA Kings, smashing through the $1m per year barrier. It was $20m for eight years.
Don’t forget to account for inflation regarding Orr’s $1 million contract. It was signed in 1971, which in today’s money is worth $8.24 million.
Bobby Hull was the 1st, but in the WHL, was he not?
Johnny Z, Bobby Orr signed the historic 5-year $1 On August 26, 1971, Orr signed a historic five-year, $1 million dollar contract with Boston at $200,000 per season. Not quite a year later, Bobby Hull signed with the WHA’s Winnipeg Jets in June 1972 at $2,750,000 over 10 years, but with a $1 il bonus.
If we’re looking at the first to sign at an AAV of at least $1 mil, as I Want My Curtains Back points out, that would be Gretzky when he was dealt to L.A. during the summer months of 1988 at $20 mil over 8 years, giving him an AAV of $2.5 mil.
Mr Bruin4 ,have you followed the CTE findings in the NFL?
Oh contrare Mrbruin4 I can and do begrudge them that if you can’t make it on 7 or 8 million a year you’ve got a problem. Always love my players and team but it getting ridiculous.
So instead of paying the talent, the owners should just keep the extra money?
No one is coming to the games to watch the trainers…Pay the talent!!! Without them you don’t put butts in seats.
I don’t have any problems with paying the talent. I do get a bit concerned when you’re paying 5 or 6 guys huge sums and then doling out relatively small amounts to the rest of the teammates
And therein lies the conundrum I Want My Curtains back. Unless yo can get all 32 GMs to think along the exact same lines – which would amount to collusion in any court – there will always be one who sees getting top players at top dollars as the spark to attract sold out crowds. It’s a vicious circle, for sure.
In a Utopian World, all pro sports teams would be municipally-owned – never by billionaires or corporations OR federal, state/provincial governments – with coach, manager, supporting staff … and players …. paid at very good but set salaries and at venues built by the municipality.
All revenues over and above the cost of operation would go into maintaining municipality infrastructure.
Only in fantasy, however.
Yeah, George. You and I have been around long enough to see the NHL governed by autocratic and penny pinching owners who treated players like chattle, to the situation now where the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction.
There are two camps forming:
In one: McDavid, Celebrini, Bedard types who left money on the table so their teams could be competitive and have a better chance at the Cup. It’s only going to become harder with more NHL teams coming on line and reducing the odds.
In the other, Makar, Carlsson, and possibly Hughes. Me first. Me first by lots.
No question Makar is elite. But he had already made 54 million prior to signing for another 163 million, at the max term.
I am all for players being well paid as the premier athletes.
But how much money does it take you to be happy? If Makar lives another 50 years he could spend 3 million a year, not counting the 54 million he has been paid now. He couldn’t get by at 15 million X 8 for an additional 120,000,000? That would only drop his spending money to 2.4 million per year for the next 50 years.
We know what Makar wants out of life. Does he, really?
That’s your opinion Stars fan you’re entitled to it I can respect that as you should be able to respect mine thanks.
Take one for the team? The team is already keeping a fair share of the money. That’s the cap. Now the team stands to make more money if they make the playoffs and even more if they actually win the cup. And that all goes to the team. But elite talent should ask for less money to make that happen?
I am sure most players would put their face in front of a slap shot to win the cup and what fan doesn’t want their team to win but elite players should leave money on the table?
It’s the GMs job to pay the stars and still build a team.
Shaun:
The point of the debate is the effect on the team’s changes of success with a few taking nearly half of the cap.
Think the Leafs if you need a recent example. Or, contemplate the effect on the Wild and their search for a much needed center if Hughes wants 20 million to go with Kaprizov’s 17 million. The season after this the cap will go up by 9.5 million. The Wild currently have 1 million in cap space this season. Do the math and consider the effects on the Wild’s playoff prospects if Hughes wants 20 million next year.
Yes, it is the GM’s job to pay the stars and still build a team. Except that the GMs have to work within the cap and they are not the only ones who have significant influence in the distribution.
Again, a point of this discussion.
Thanks for your input LJ but if you look where my comment is nested, it was not in reply to the discussion as steered by Starsfan’s comment but in reply to John Apple further up.
Shaun I stick by what I say.
All cool John, I did not think I was changing anyone’s mind. Just grinding my own axe … and wishing you the best experience with your fandom.
Nice response Shaun. I’m sorry bluey made you out to be such a bad guy.
Very curious to see league attendance over the next season or two. It’s an expensive world, hockey is a luxury.
I’d be okay with Makars deal if he was better defensively. He’s not and he’ll be 36 when this deal expires! Can’t imagine he gets better defensively with age, but I’ll bet anything his offense drops off with age.
There is a rather simple solution that allows for a more equitable distribution of money and avoids managerial brain cramps, limit the max payout to any one player to 14% from the present 20%.
It allows for big pay for top players and plenty left to spread around, the NHLPA has no reason to oppose it.
Interesting discussion on salaries. All I could think of was NBA, NFL, MLB, EPL, etc.
Hockey salaries are modest by comparison.
A more ominous development, imo, is the trend toward star players asking to be traded.
Time was when players wanted to be part of the solution and ” team player ” was the ultimate compliment.
It seems those days are gone. Shame.