Makar Gives Avalanche Plenty of Leverage - and a Price Tag

The Avalanche are down 0-2, and that changes the temperature around everything in Denver. When a star like Cale Makar is sitting in a pressure cooker like this, contract talk stops being background noise and starts sounding a lot louder. Front offices love leverage until they are the ones staring at the bill, and this is exactly the kind of moment that can reset the market. The stakes are obvious here, because what happens on the ice can echo straight into the negotiation room.