The contract

The Colorado Avalanche signed defenseman Cale Makar to an eight-year extension with an $20.4 million AAV.

Sean Gentille: Maybe you saw this coming when Bowen Byram, a No. 3 defenseman with some degree of untapped potential, signed with the Chicago Blackhawks for six years and $75 million.

Maybe it was when Leo Carlsson, a 21-year-old center talented enough to show up on Hart Trophy ballots in the very near future, guaranteed that he’d be paid $18 million by either the Philadelphia Flyers or Anaheim Ducks.

Maybe it was when Makar, via the Avalanche’s official X account, looked into a camera and said the words “nine years.”

At some point over the last few months, though, it should’ve become quite clear: Makar was destined to sign the largest contract in the history of the National Hockey League, and on Friday, that destiny was fulfilled.

We’ll cut to the chase here — it would be impossible for any team, at any time, to sign Makar and not come out on top. At 27 years old, he’s got a puncher’s chance of finishing his career as the best player of his generation and as one of the few best defensemen of all time. You do not negotiate with guys like that. You ask them how much money they’d like, and you thank them for the privilege of payment. Makar, for the record, was technically allowed to sign for $20.8 million a year. Hopefully the Avs can use that $400,000 on something nice.

Think of it this way: We live in a world where a defenseman such as Byram — a flawed, unproven player whose value is more theoretical than not — is an OK bet at $12 million annually. Where does that put Makar? How much more could a team reasonably pay someone who, even after a down season, remains the consensus top defenseman in the league? Credit to Quinn Hughes for continuing to significantly closing the gap, but the gap still exists, owing to Makar’s ability to tilt the ice in all three zones and influence play with and without the puck. Watch his highlights, crack into his advanced stats, ask an NHL person and the answer won’t change. Makar isn’t just special — he’s the best. And now, he’s paid accordingly.

Contract grade: A

James Mirtle: The list of plausible options to become the NHL’s first $20 million player was always very short, and Makar’s name was pinned near the top for good reason.

Only 27 years old, he’s already won the Norris twice, the Conn Smythe once, plus the Stanley Cup and a Calder. He’s also one of the only defensemen in NHL history to be a finalist for the Norris six consecutive years, including, notably, Bobby Orr and Nick Lidstrom.

The cap hit obviously comes with some sticker shock, given the highest-paid defenseman in the NHL last year (Erik Karlsson) made just 56 percent of Makar’s new cap hit — a full $8.9 million less. That unprecedented jump only makes sense with the context that the NHL’s cap could be as high as $160 million by 2031-32, which would drop Makar’s deal to less than 13 percent of the ceiling by the midway point of the deal. That would make his pay the equivalent to roughly $12 million against last season’s cap, and he’ll still be just 31 years old when that season starts.

It’s also a deal that was signed with the understanding that star-player pay is clearly on the rise, with the best players about to take a bigger piece of the pie given the scarcity of available talent and how aggressive teams are getting with top stars. (See: Macklin Celebrini’s new $18.8 million deal after just two seasons in the league.)

The risk here? The cap doesn’t skyrocket quite that fast and the Avs get boxed in by paying Makar a massive share of their cashflow as he declines. But what was the alternative? Let the best defenseman in the league and a future Hall of Famer walk in his prime? Try to make a trade under duress and pick up the pieces with a giant hole in your roster?

Maybe Colorado didn’t pull out a ton of surplus value here the way, say, Montreal has with Lane Hutson, but what they did do was ensure Makar is on the ice for nearly half of the game every night for nearly a decade going forward. That alone should keep them in contention for at least the next five years in a league that’s so parity-filled that that’s harder than ever to do.

And it’s hard to argue with that.

Contract grade: B

Carlos Alcaraz has said that “intrusive thoughts” were the most difficult part of his four-month injury layoff as he prepares to return to singles at the U.S. Open.

The defending champion said in a news conference Friday that the first month of his recovery from a right wrist injury had been especially difficult, because he could not use his right arm.

The 23-year-old has not played a singles match since suffering the injury at the Barcelona Open in April, which forced him to miss the French Open and Wimbledon. He returned to competition alongside American Serena Williams in the U.S. Open mixed doubles this week and will face Roman Safiullin in the first round of the men’s singles.

“Once I started to practice a little bit, that I didn’t know when I’m gonna start, that thoughts are really difficult to deal with, because I don’t know if I’m gonna be ready for Cincinnati, for the U.S. Open, or I’m gonna miss the whole American swing,” Alcaraz said.

“So I would say that intrusive thoughts were the most difficult things to deal with.”

Alcaraz has made no technical changes to his game during his recovery, saying that changing his technique or movement would have prevented him from returning as the same player.

“That injury helped me to know that it’s all in my head,” he said. “I gotta trust my team, I gotta trust my people that tell me it’s gonna be fine.”

Alcaraz prepared for his return with intense practice sessions to test how his wrist responded, including a week training with Denmark’s Holger Rune in Alcaraz’s native Murcia.

“I just tried to do everything perfect on and off the court, to feel ready — really long practices, really intense practices, just to see how my wrist is going to react during the practices and after those really long days.”

Italian world No. 1 Jannik Sinner will miss the U.S. Open with a right knee injury, and Alcaraz said the number of players dealing with physical problems reflected the demands of the tennis calendar.

“I’m seeing a lot of players having problems with their bodies and everything, with injuries,” Alcaraz said. “I think that means how tight everything is on the calendar for the year.”

Alcaraz and Sinner have not played each other since Sinner won their Monte-Carlo final in April, shortly before Alcaraz began his four-month absence. Sinner’s injury means the pair will again be kept apart in New York.

“It’s kind of weird,” Alcaraz said. “We are not gonna see each other for, like, six months now, seven months.”

Tom Holroyd had a try disallowed a minute after half-time, unable to ground the ball before knocking on under pressure from Saints full-back Sailor.

Leeds did get their fourth try soon after though when Jack Bird’s beautiful backhanded offload freed up Ryan Hall to dot down his 357th career try.

Saints were on the board when Jack Welsby’s line break saw him race clear of Leeds’ midfield and full-back Lachie Miller for the match’s second excellent individual try.

But that proved to be just brief respite as Handley got on the scoresheet, latching on to a grubber kick from Connor, and another grubber from Connor found his half-back partner Croft, via the upright, for his 28th Super League try of the season.

Connor missed a late kick late on, striking the post, but his kicking game continues to impress with Leeds looking strong going into the upcoming play-offs.

Saints, meanwhile, will have to beat Leigh and Hull KR in their final two matches if they are to avoid missing out on the Super League play-offs for the first time.

St Helens: Sailor; Douglas, MacDonald, Welsby, Cross; Robertson, Lomax; Suluka-Fifita, Shorrocks, Klemmer, Davies, Wright, Host.

Interchanges: Walmsley, Humphreys, Keeley, Evans.

Sin-bin: Suluka-Fifita (15 mins)

Leeds: Miller; Hall, Bird, Handley, Newman; Croft, Connor; Oledzki, O’Connor, Jenkins, Watkins, Hankinson, Cassell.

Interchanges: Holroyd, Smith, Levi, Lodge.

Referee: Marcus Griffiths.