Cale Makar scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game last night for the Colorado Avalanche, with it eventually becoming the game-winning tally in a 6-2 victory. While the fans in Colorado may feel like giving him the Conn Smythe already, the accountants of the team may have something to say about that. CapFriendly tweets out the interesting performance bonus structure of Makar’s deal, which includes a $25,000 bonus for playing in five playoff games, a $107,500 bonus for playing in his tenth playoff game, and a $787,500 bonus for winning the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP.
Obviously Makar winning a trophy like that is incredibly far-fetched, but it does just add another layer to his outstanding debut. The young defenseman is expected to take on a substantial role with the team next season and doesn’t seem to be afraid of anything. Nathan MacKinnon even told reporters today (video via Altitude Sports Radio) that the 20-year old was calling for the puck on the play that resulted in his first career goal.
- The Minnesota Wild have announced a new 10-year extension on their lease of the Xcel Energy Center, which will now extend through 2035. The team did not find much success on the ice this season, but is still a thriving organization in one of the best hockey markets in the world and will now have some extra stability moving forward. The arena opened back in 2000 when NHL hockey returned to Minnesota in the form of the expansion Wild, and has housed them ever since.
- Alex Turcotte has been added to Team USA for the upcoming U18 World Championship, set to kick off later this week in Sweden. The 18-year old forward is expected to be a top draft selection this June, ranking fourth on the final Central Scouting rankings among North American players. Turcotte was dealing with an injury recently but looks like he’ll be able to take part in the tournament that is often a final showcase for draft-eligible prospects.
hmm, maybe signing Makar just might be worth it…
Probably not. Like starting a true freshman on a very average football team for only 1 or two games and burning a season of eligibility. I’d rather have that player as a 5th year senior for the whole year than just a game or two his freshman season.
Losing a year of control over a couple games and also having to expose another player from Seattle just doesn’t make sense.
EXACTLY
Yeah, I don’t quite understand signing Makar. If we were a top seed and positioned for a real run at the Cup then I could see reason for doing it, but even then it’s a bad call from a simple economic standpoint. Oh well. I’m liking what we’re seeing from the kid. Go Avs!
Actually, signing Makar and burning a year makes a lot of sense. Teams are more likely to get a better deal on the second contract with only two years of performance. That third year can often be a big breakout year and push the price much higher.
If not for the expansion draft, it would be a no brainer.
It makes sense if you’re in the playoffs and want to field the best possible lineup. You don’t get an opportunity to win a Stanley cup every year. I love it. Kudos to Colorado, fortune favours the bold (Columbus).
It’s a hockey team not an investment portfolio.
It’s not an investment portfolio but is a big enough business that decisions can sway the product enough that the value will be substantially affected possibly into the $100+mil range.