NHL history was broken on August 28 when the Colorado Avalanche signed star defenceman Cale Makar to an eight-year, $20.4M AAV contract. This deal now makes him the league’s highest-paid player.
Makar wasn’t the only defenceman to sign a hefty long-term deal this off-season. Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Bowen Byram inked a $12.5M AAV contract that will keep him with Chicago for six years. Turmoil even surrounds ex-Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes, who is entering the final year of his $7.85M AAV come 2026–27.
Advertisement
These bulky contracts for high-calibre NHL defencemen, while not on the same scale, serve as a stark reminder for the Canucks of something that they should be mindful of regarding young star Zeev Buium. The 20-year-old defenceman will enter the final year of his entry-level contract in 2026–27 and will become a UFA if not signed by the end of the season.
Observing the trends with players like Makar and Byram, and even Hughes, should encourage the Canucks to not just re-sign him, but lock Buium up long-term sooner rather than later if they can.
Vancouver doesn’t need to look far to see the benefits of a long-term signing.
When Hughes signed his six-year deal with the Canucks in October of 2021, his $7.85M AAV was still notably less than the $9M AAV deal signed by Makar only a couple of months before. In looking at what Hughes has provided in the years since signing this contract (a James Norris Memorial Trophy, three straight 70+ point seasons), and reflecting on other players that have signed much more expensive deals since, it’s clear that Vancouver was right to tack the defenceman down at the number they did — regardless of how things ultimately shook out with their former captain.
Advertisement
There are, of course, a variety of other factors that played into Hughes’ contract signing with Vancouver, which complicates this example a little more.
A better example to look at when it comes to high-term, cost-efficient extensions may be the contract signed by Montréal Canadiens defenceman Lane Hutson. Hutson signed an eight-year extension before his ELC even concluded, in October of 2025, with his AAV falling to $8.85M. He’ll enter the first year of this deal in 2026–27, at only 22 years old, with 66 and 78-point seasons already respectively under his belt. In comparison, Hutson is making less money per-year than players such as Dougie Hamilton, Darnell Nurse, and even fellow Canadiens defenceman Noah Dobson. All three of these players are a fair bit older than Hutson and have yet to make the same offensive impact that the 22-year-old already has.
That’s a tidy deal for a defenceman that will be a key piece of Montréal’s future.
Taking The Stage: Canucks Will Look To Buium For Breakout Season
Taking The Stage: Canucks Will Look To Buium For Breakout SeasonA dazzling skill set makes Zeev Buium hard to miss. And as the Vancouver Canucks look to turn the page on a miserable season, he’s poised to help lead them into the future
Advertisement
Where things are different in Buium’s case is the fact that the Canucks defenceman has only played in one NHL season —2025–26. While he’s shown legitimate potential and offensive creativity, at the same time, there’s always going to be a reasonable concern that the defenceman may not match the expectation of the contract he could be signed to. In other words, there’ll always be concern that the Canucks will rush when it comes to signing him.
The thing is, though, that Buium’s first NHL season saw the defenceman get shipped to a league-worst Vancouver team after only 31 total games in the league. Even with the Canucks’ struggles, Buium was still able to gain a foothold on the league and was even named the team’s Most Exciting Player by the end of the year. More time in different situations, such as extended power play usage or top-pairing minutes, will help the defenceman gain the experience he needs to blossom into the player many believe he can be.
Off the ice, Buium is also expected to become a key piece of Vancouver’s leadership core in the long-term future, making it even more imperative that he be locked-up long-term. If the defenceman is on-board when it comes to staying, a long-term move is a no-brainer.
When it comes to contract comparables, Makar and Buium aren’t even remotely close. Realistically, there are no other — if not very few other — defencemen in the NHL that could currently command $20M a year. That said, as the salary cap begins to rise, and players start getting paid more and more, more and more $20M-AAV contracts will likely start to trickle in. A rise in what one player is being paid will impact every other player in the league regardless of how closely comparable they are on the ice.
Advertisement
Makar is getting paid $20.4M per year. Hughes will likely command a similar number. Zach Werenski and Miro Heiskanen are both coming up on contract endings in 2027–28 and 2028–29 respectively. Regardless of calibre level, the price for premium defencemen is only going to get higher. The Canucks need to buy on Buium before his price tag starts rising as well.
Apr 14, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium (24) handles the puck against the Los Angeles Kings in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Make sure you bookmark THN’s Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don’t forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:
Advertisement
Vancouver Canucks 2026–27 Player Preview: Akil Thomas
How Much It Will Cost Canucks Fans To Attend 2026 Training Camp
Vancouver Canucks 2026–27 Player Preview: Ty Mueller
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Read the full article here