The Avalanche secured a big part of its future Saturday by signing defenseman Cale Makar to a six-year contract extension.

The deal is worth $54 million, per a league source, with the $9 million annual cap hit making him Colorado’s second-highest-paid player behind right winger Mikko Rantanen ($9.25 million).

“Shows the faith the program has in me and, obviously, from my side, I believe in this organization and where the future is taking us. This contract just shows faith from both sides,” Makar said on a Zoom call.

Makar, 22, was the 2020 Calder Trophy winner as NHL rookie of the year and a 2021 Norris Trophy finalist as the league’s best defenseman.

“He’s a superstar. He’s one of the top defensemen in the league, if not the best,” Avs general manager Joe Sakic said Saturday. “He’ll be up for the Norris year-in, year-out. We’re very fortunate that for the next six years we’ll have Cale here — hopefully helping us win a Stanley Cup.”

Sakic wanted to get Makar under contract before his young star could be presented with a rare restricted free agent offer sheet that the club would certainly match but likely end up paying more.

“If another team came up to him and gave him a big offer, it would have been an easy match for us,” Sakic said.

Makar will make $8 million next season, $9 million in 2022-23, $11 million in 2023-24, $10.6 million in 2024-25, $8.7 million in 2025-26 and $6.7 million in 2026-27. He can become an unrestricted free agent in 2027 at age 28.