It seems like there's never a dull day this offseason when it comes to signings and off-ice news, as in the past week we saw a massive contract extension for one of the league's best d-men.

Cale Makar signs an 8-Year contract with the Colorado Avalanche at an $20.4MAAV ($163.2M Total) – UFA 2035, Age 36

When rumors began to surface that the Colorado Avalanche and Cale Makar were nearing a contract extension, my fantasy league immediately started debating what the average annual value (AAV) might look like. I threw out a figure north of $20 million, while most of the league settled in the $17-18 million range. To be fair, I think that’s where most fans would have landed as well. However, the NHL’s evolving financial landscape is pushing elite players toward higher salary levels than many expect, especially a generational defenseman like Makar. If you’re rostering Quinn Hughes, you may want to brace yourself for what’s coming next.

The initial reaction to seeing a $20 million cap hit attached to any player is understandable. Whether it’s on a spreadsheet or your league’s roster page, that number is eye-popping. It creates immediate concerns about roster construction and forces teams to make difficult decisions. While those challenges won’t become reality until the contract kicks in next season, the sticker shock is still real. When the deal begins as it stands right now, Makar will hold the highest AAV among NHL defensemen, surpassing Bowen Byram‘s mark, which still feels surreal to type.

From a fantasy perspective, there’s a strong case to be made that Makar is worth every dollar. Sure, managers may prefer value options such as Darren Raddysh at $8.5 million or Charlie McAvoy at $9.5 million, but let’s be honest: every fantasy manager and fan base in the league would jump at the opportunity to roster Makar. He is a perennial 90-point threat from the blue line, consistently produces well above a point-per-game pace, and averages close to three shots per night. There are very few areas of the game where he doesn’t provide value. In my ESPN league, rostering Makar has often been compared to getting elite forward production from a defense roster spot, and that’s not an exaggeration.

Where the $20.4 million AAV becomes challenging is for teams carrying other high-priced contracts. In those situations, I’d recommend building around cost-effective, two-way players who can provide solid all-around value at a lower cap hit. They may not offer the same elite production as a player like Makar, but strong depth pieces become increasingly important when managing a top-heavy payroll. If your league requires managers to fill specific roster positions, targeting reliable contributors on team-friendly (or minor league) deals can be an effective way to maintain balance throughout the lineup. This is a strategy that can absolutely work in smaller leagues with more than five allotted slots for minor's eligible players.

It’s also worth remembering the reaction when Connor McDavid signed his first massive contract in Edmonton. Many fans viewed the cap hit as overwhelming at the time, but it quickly became one of the league’s best values as salaries continued to rise. A similar argument can be made for Makar. While the number may seem staggering today, it could look far more reasonable in just a few years as the salary cap continues to climb.

Makar's contract is very player friendly and I'll go as far to say that it won't hamstring the Avalanche in the coming years as much as I've seen online and rather argue that this season and next they're more locked into their current…which is a good one, even with less wiggle room. That’s a trade-off most organizations would gladly make.

*Salary Cap data from PuckPedia.com  

For continued fantasy news and notes, follow me on Twitter @ndySanz.