{
  "id": 4056241,
  "title": "Why Cale Makar became the NHL’s highest paid player – for now",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/why-cale-makar-became-the-nhls-highest-paid-player-for-now",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-28T23:38:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Toronto Sun",
    "slug": "toronto-sun",
    "url": "https://torontosun.com/sports/hockey/why-cale-makar-became-the-nhls-highest-paid-player-for-now"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Cale Makar, a defenseman for the Colorado Avalanche, has signed an eight-year contract extension worth $163.2 million, making him the highest-paid player in the NHL. According to Yahoo Sports, the deal has an annual average value of $20.4 million and runs through the 2034-35 season.\n\nMakar, 27, is coming off a season with 20 goals and 59 assists. He finished second in the Norris Trophy voting, an award for the league's top defenseman, and has won the award twice in his career.\n\nThe extension surpasses the eight-year, $136 million deal signed by Minnesota forward Kirill Kaprizov last September, making Makar's deal the richest in NHL history, per Associated Press and Yahoo Sports.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Associated Press",
        "title": "Avs defenseman Makar signs $163.2M, 8-year extension, making him highest paid player in NHL history",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/avs-defenseman-makar-signs-163-2m-8-year-extension-making-him-highest",
        "published": "2026-08-28T21:53:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Avs defenseman Cale Makar signs richest deal in NHL history at $163.2 million over 8 years",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/avs-defenseman-cale-makar-signs-richest-deal-in-nhl-history-at-163-2",
        "published": "2026-08-28T22:35:11.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}