Joe Sakic: Cale Makar ‘absolutely’ became more valuable after injury hurt Cup chances

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar signed the largest contract in NHL history last week.

And Avs fans who watched the two games in the Western Conference Final without him knows he’s worth every penny.

GM Joe Sakic and Makar met with the media on Monday to discuss the historic eight-year extension worth more than $160 million. Makar will make $20.4 million per season starting with the 2027-28 campaign.

The Avalanche appeared to be rolling toward a Stanley Cup this past year, going 8-1 through the first two rounds of the playoffs.

But Makar was banged up in the Minnesota series, hurting his shoulder and hip. He missed both home games versus Vegas in the WCF and Colorado found itself in an 0-2 hole it couldn’t dig out of, eventually getting swept.

Sakic was asked if those two showings from the Avs, both poor, made Cale Makar even more valuable in his eyes.

I asked Joe Sakic if Cale Makar’s value went up even more after he missed the first two games against Vegas in the Western Conference Final.

“Absolutely, Cale plays 30 minutes a night and everyone is slotted behind him… you need your stars to be on the ice for you.” pic.twitter.com/cPKZgEzP3N

— Will Petersen (@PetersenWill) August 31, 2026

“Absolutely. Cale plays 30 minutes a night and everybody is slotted behind him. And to miss those minutes, to miss him on the ice for those first two games. You’re in the conference final and you’re playing against a really good team. You need your stars to be on the ice for you and you need them to play well,” Sakic said.

The Avalanche suffered a 4-2 loss in Game 1 then a 3-1 loss in Game 2. They looked like a completely different team without Cale Makar and him playing half the game, generating only three goals in the two contests at Ball Arena.

“Yeah, that definitely hurt. It’s a big reason why we were 0 and 2 and a big reason why we lost the series. Not only him and (Nathan MacKinnon), it created such a great culture in our dressing room and moving forward you need that,” Sakic said.

Not only did Colorado desperately miss Makar on the ice, it sounds like Sakic thinks they missed his presence in the locker room as well. The best player in Avalanche history (for now) went on to talk about the value Cale Makar adds across the franchise.

“Not just winning games, but we’re in an entertainment business too. And how lucky are we to be able to watch these guys in an Avs uniform. It’ll be 84 games this year, so we’re all spoiled a little bit to have them in our organization and to watch them play on a regular basis,” Sakic said.

The NHL is expanding the regular season then another deep playoff run for the Avs figures to follow.

And while you can’t live in the past, Sakic acknowledged just how much they missed Makar against Vegas. If he had been out there and healthy, who knows, Denver might’ve gathered at another parade over the summer.

Hopefully, there are many more Stanley Cups to celebrate during the next nine years of Cale Makar with the Avalanche.

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