I admire Makar, truly. He redefined the modern defenseman role. But signing for $9M per year after just 101 regular season games? That may have been premature, not in terms of talent, but in terms of team context.
 
And we’re seeing the consequences all over the league. Take Edmonton: Nurse’s $9.25M contract has frozen the Oilers’ cap space. The result? They couldn’t fix the goaltending situation. And who knows… with a proper goalie, Edmonton might already have one or two more Stanley Cups.
 
Depth doesn’t come from wishful thinking, it comes when your stars tighten the belt so others can exist around them.
And the clearest example:

• Tavares, 74 points in 75 games, signs for $4.4M.
• Nelson, 56 points in 80 games… signs for $7.5M with the Avalanche.

 
That gap isn’t trivial, it’s structural. When an organization pays full market value for a player who could’ve come cheaper, it’s not just a splurge, it’s a cost elsewhere in the lineup.
 
So yes, I stand by it: when leaders don’t leave money on the table, the team ends up leaving it on the scoreboard. And sometimes, it’s not a turnover or a bad line change that costs you the Cup… It’s a miscalculated budget line.

This.

If anything, it makes more sense to wait out the market. Teams that strike out on Ehlers and Boeser may be more desperate and the Avs can use that to their advantage in a Necas trade.

Imagine trying to convince people that Cale Makar didn’t take a discount when he signed his contract the same year as Darnell Nurse…

What would prevent them from trading him?

His contract is buyout-proof since he’s 35+. They’re in win-now mode and don’t really care about the implications beyond the first three years of that deal; if the cap keeps rising, his hit will be what $3.5M is today which is manageable.

That’s what team spirit looks like.
 
Just ask MacKinnon. Every morning, he brushes his teeth and wonders why Rantanen isn’t around. He searches for answers. Then slowly, staring into the mirror, it comes to him: “Oh… maybe my $12.6M per year.”
 
And even sweet Cale Makar, two seasons into the league, flashing that million-dollar smile who thought to himself: “You know what, I’ve been good. I’ll just sign like I’ve already won three Norris Trophies.” A powerful statement… for his savings account.
 
But hey, if the leaders aren’t willing to set the tone, why should the rest of the roster feel inspired to “leave money on the table”? Duchene did it. So did Tavares. But that was before we realized that “putting the team first” mostly makes a great slogan for the gym wall.
 
And Nelson at $7.5M? What a bargain. Colorado simply paid full price for a guy who, let’s face it, didn’t love them enough to sign for less.
 
The GM took the bold leap toward “fair market value”… Too bad the team’s the one footing the bill.

We’ll find out in the next few days.