4 Big Questions for the Colorado Avalanche in 2020-21

3. Can Cale Makar continue his rise to stardom?

Cale Makar burst onto the season in his rookie year in 2019-20, playing a top-two defensive pairing roll and averaging over 20 minutes a game. In just his first season in the NHL, Makar ended the season with 12 goals and 38 assists for 50 points, earning the Calder Trophy as a result of his stellar debut season.

The 21-year-old stud also helped anchor the play on the defensive end, finishing with a plus / minus rating of +12 to go along with a 52.3 % Corsi. Along with the growth he is assured to gain going into his second year, along with the addition of Devon Toews, there is no question Makar will continue to mature into an elite defenseman in the league.

The question here is can he make such a jump in just his second year that he would be considered for the Norris Trophy?

Just looking at how well he handled playing in the NHL in just his first year, I don’t really see any reason to doubt the young defenseman’s capability. Therefore, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him as a Norris finalist at the NHL Awards at the end of the 2020-21 season.