Cale Makar Has Proven He is the Best Defenseman in the NHL

The Colorado Avalanche are Western Conference champions, and no player had more to do with that than defenseman Cale Makar.

Makar, who is 23-years-old and in his third full season with the Avs, continues to build off of his dominant regular season, leading the way for his club in the playoffs. He has 22 points (five goals and 17 assists) to lead all Colorado skaters this postseason.

His best performances came in Games 2 and 4 of the Western Conference Final. In Game 2, it was his suffocating defense against Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid that stood out. His smooth skating was on full display as he helped keep the Oilers off the board.

In Game 4, a 6-5 overtime victory to clinch the sweep, Makar led all skaters with five points (one goal and four assists) including the primary assist on the overtime game-winning goal.

Cale Makar is the best defenseman in the NHL.

Makar burst onto the scene in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs where he notched six points in ten games. His first regular season action came during the 2019-2020 campaign. He racked up 50 points and a plus-12 rating to claim the Calder Trophy.

This season, he set career-highs in games played (77), goals (28), assists (58), points (86), plus-minus (plus-48), and more. No player played more minutes for the Avalanche this season than Makar, and that has continued in the playoffs.

Cale Makar is not only one of the most gifted offensive players in the NHL, but his defense, as he demonstrated in his matchup against McDavid, is off the charts as well. There is nothing that the young defenseman cannot do.

I had picked Roman Josi to win the Norris Trophy this season as the league’s top defenseman, and I stand by that given what he had to work with in Nashville. With that said, Makar has gotten the job done all season and is the league’s best blueliner, even if he doesn’t win the award.

One could certainly make a convincing argument that he deserves the Norris, but whether he wins it or not, he could be well on his way to winning the Conn Smythe Trophy.

While Josi, Victor Hedman, or last year’s Norris Trophy winner, Adam Fox, could all claim the title of league’s best defenseman, Makar’s offensive prowess and lockdown defense make him the top dog in the NHL.