Cale Makar and the Colorado Avalanche have talked extension, but those conversations haven't turned into real negotiations yet, according to David Pagnotta.
There won't be a Makar deal on July 1.
Makar is currently signed at a $9,000,000 cap hit, fifteenth among all defenders in the league. For a player of his caliber, that number already looks like a bargain.
He posted 20 goals and 79 points in 75 games this season, adding 4 power play goals and 25 power play assists. In 11 playoff games, he tacked on 5 more points before Colorado's run ended.
GM Chris MacFarland runs a Colorado team that finished 55-16-11, first overall with 121 points, the best record in the entire league.
Letting extension talks sit on the back burner is a calculated risk for a front office that usually moves with purpose.
Makar's next contract will be one of the largest in franchise history, and likely one of the largest for any defenseman in the league.
That number takes time to negotiate.
Avalanche's championship window adds pressure to get this deal right
This isn't unusual. Teams often let these conversations breathe before getting serious, especially when the player isn't an immediate cap problem.
But Colorado just got swept out of the second round by Vegas after sweeping Los Angeles and beating Minnesota in five games.
That kind of early playoff exit changes the urgency around roster decisions, even ones tied to a generational defenseman.
Nathan MacKinnon is locked in at $12,600,000. Martin Necas added 100 points this season at $6,500,000.
The core is in place. Makar's next deal will define how much flexibility MacFarland has left to build around it.
No deadline pressure yet. But eventually, this conversation has to turn serious, and the longer it waits, the more it becomes a story in itself.
Should the Avalanche prioritize locking up Cale Makar before any other offseason moves?
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