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May 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) takes a shot against the Minnesota Wild net during the second period in game two of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena.
Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images You may have noticed that Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnons cap hit received a slight, seemingly random increase.
When MacKinnon signed his eight-year, $100.8 million extension in September 2022, his $12.6 million average annual value (AAV) made him the NHLs highest-paid player, edging Connor McDavids $12.5 million.
For each of the first three seasons, MacKinnon counted $12.6 million against Colorados salary cap.
But beginning in 2026-27, that number rises slightly to $12.604 million.
I had a hunch about why it happened, and the folks at PuckPedia confirmed it.
Credit to them for helping explain one of the CBAs more obscure quirks.
So why did MacKinnons contract increase by $20,000, with his cap hit rising by $4,000 in each of the remaining five seasons? When MacKinnon signed his extension, he followed the same blueprint many superstars used at the time and still do today (see Leo Carlssons recent offer sheet).
The vast majority of his compensation came in the form of signing bonuses rather than base salary.
That strategy benefits players because money received upfront is generally more valuable than money earned throughout the season.
To make that work, however, MacKinnons annual salary, the portion paid during the regular season, was kept unusually low.
As shown in the contract breakdown below, nearly 85 percent of MacKinnons deal comes through signing bonuses.
The #GoAvsGo signed MacKinnon to 8 year 12.6M Extension: Yr 1 775K & 15.725M Signing Bonus Yr 2 775K & 15.725M SB Yr 3 800K & 15.25M SB Yr 4 9.15M & 3M SB Yr 5-8 990K & 9.9M SB Full NMC effective immediately.
Repd by Pat Brisson @CAAHockey https://t.co/gzIAsg21w3 PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) September 20, 2022 That type of structure will soon become a thing of the past.
Under the new collective bargaining agreement, which takes effect on Sept.
15, signing bonuses can account for no more than 60 percent of a standard player contract.
MacKinnons first two seasons carried a base salary of just $775,000 the league minimum at the time.
In 2025-26, that number increased slightly to $800,000.
Those years arent affected.
But the new CBA also raises the league minimum salary over the life of the agreement.
Minimum salary climbs to $850,000 in 2026-27, $900,000 in 2027-28, $950,000 in 2028-29, and $1 million beginning in 2029-30.
Thats where the adjustment comes in.
MacKinnons contract originally called for a base salary of $990,000 in both 2029-30 and 2030-31.
Once the minimum salary reaches $1 million, those figures no longer comply with the CBA, even though his signing bonuses push his total earnings far beyond the minimum.
As a result, the final two years of his contract each receive a $10,000 increase in base salary.
That accounts for the additional $20,000 added to the total value of the deal.
Rather than increasing the cap hit by $10,000 in each of those final two seasons, the NHL spreads the added value evenly across the five remaining years of the contract.
The result is a $4,000 increase in MacKinnons cap hit each season, bringing it from $12.6 million to $12.604 million.
MacKinnon isnt alone.
This isnt even the first time something like this has happened.
Following the memorandum of understanding signed after the NHLs 2020 COVID pause, several contracts, including Auston Matthews, received similar adjustments because of changes to minimum salary rules.
The impact on Colorado is negligible.
Had MacKinnon also taken a league-minimum base salary in 2026-27 instead of the $9.15 million salary he is scheduled to earn this season, the adjustment would have been much larger and carried a more significant cap consequence.
Instead, the Avalanche are only dealing with an extra $4,000 on the cap in each of the next five seasons for their superstar center.
As PuckPedia detailed in its breakdown, MacKinnon is one of more than 100 players whose contracts were adjusted because of the new minimum salary provisions.
The changes affect both standard player contracts and entry-level deals.
The post Why Nathan MacKinnons Cap Hit Just Increased for the Avalanche appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now .