Cale Makar offer sheet in the making?

Last summer, no offer sheet were tendered, however, insider Pierre LeBrun wants us to prepare for a change this offseason as he explained how an offer sheet possibility has popped up in a few conversations he had this week. He is talking about Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar. 

Now, LeBrun is clear about one thing: the Avalanche will do anything to keep Makar on its roster: “no question the Avs would match any single offer sheet to their prized blue liner,” he writes in his latest article on The Athletic. 

However, he gave a good idea of what could take place this summer with this offer sheet possibility on Tuesday’s edition of Insider Trading on TSN: 

“In talking with some different sources around the league I’ve learned that if there’s one player that potentially gets an offer sheet this off-season, some people believe it will be Makar. Part of this is because the Avalanche are juggling a lot of different things. Gabriel Landeskog’s contract is up. We know that Brandon Saad’s contract is up — he may or may not be able to stay. Vezina Trophy finalist Philipp Grubauer is a pending UFA, and, of course, a year from now Colorado needs to be under the cap to sign Nathan MacKinnon to a monster extension. So, what is the contract that makes sense to get Makar to sign long term with Colorado? Make no question about it, Makar wants to stay with the team, but there are some who believe that if Makar’s deal isn’t done right away on July 28 there may be teams that come calling. Colorado internally is guarding against this.”

While GM Joe Sakic is guarding against an offer sheet for his talented blue liner, LeBrun believes that one could come that will make him sweat. 

“One rival front-office executive I spoke with this week figures you’d have to put the offer sheet at least $11 million or $12 million a year to even make it worth the hassle. Otherwise, what’s the point?

As a reminder, any offer sheet this year that is worth $10.276 million AAV or more results in four first-round draft picks as compensation if the team doesn’t match. An AAV between $8.221 million and $10.276 million on an offer sheet this year sees the compensation at two first-round picks, a second and a third.”

LeBrun explains how the Avs will do anything to keep Makar, and might be able to convince him to stay at an affordable price in order to keep this great roster together. 

This is what LeBrun suggests, emphasizing the importance of when to get it done by!

“Maybe there’s a six-year deal that makes sense here for Makar.

Can the Avs get it done before teams are allowed to make offers on July 28? Does it truly matter?”