2017 NHL Draft: Colorado Avalanche Pick Cale Makar
The Colorado Avalanche have drafted Cale Makar with the fourth-overall pick at the 2017 NHL Draft. Makar is a speedy little defenseman.
The Colorado Avalanche picked Cale Makar at the 2017 NHL Draft with the fourth-overall pick.
As you know, the Colorado Avalanche finished with just 48 points last season, worst in the NHL by a 20-point margin. However, despite having the odds in their favor, Colorado lost the Draft Lottery. The team dropped all the way to the fourth position.
That said, we always knew there would be good players available at fourth-overall. In this case, the team chose Cale Makar.
About Cale Makar
2016-17 Team: Brooks Bandits (AJHL)
Date of Birth: October 30, 1998 (18 years old)
Ht: 5’11”
Wt: 179 lbs
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Right
Cale Makar seems to be offering a team everything in one tight little package. He’s a playmaking defenseman with the coveted right-hand shot.
According to Ryan Pike of the Hockey Writers, the two best words to describe Makar’s game are “speed” and “skill.” He’s known for being the type of player who darts around on the ice.
Ben Kerr of Last Word on Sports also has a lot to say about Cale Makar’s skating:
"“It is in his agility and edge work where he really shines. Makar has excellent lateral mobility and can cover a ton of ice. His pivots are crisp and clean, allowing him to cover 360 degrees of ice. Makar also has very good core strength and balance, making him tough to knock off the puck.”"
Future Considerations adds that Makar has “an effortless stride and light feet.”
Makar isn’t just all about skating — he’s been an offensive dynamo at the lower levels. He generated a lot of interest among hockey scouts when he captained Team Canada in the World Junior A Tournament and scored four goals and four assists in four games.
Peter Harling of Dobber Prospects considers Cale Makar to be “the most offensive defenceman in his draft class and the fastest skater of the 2017 draft group as well.”
Harling also praises Makar’s hockey sense as well as his ability to read plays. Future Considerations concurs:
"“[Makar] has high level awareness in all areas on the ice and has an innate understanding of how the play is developing. [His] instincts and smarts with the puck are elite and he is a driver of offence.”"
The other area besides skating that Cale Makar has impressed scouts is in his offense. Indeed, Ryan Pike declares that Makar is “flat-out one of the most dynamic offensive threats in his level of hockey and age group.”
Cale Makar and the Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche have made no bones that they’re going for speed. And that’s certainly a quality that Makar has in spades. However, amateur scout Alan Hepple emphasized that the team wanted hockey smarts as well.
Future Considerations states that he has “instincts and smarts with the puck” that are elite. He’s also known for having a high level of awareness on the ice.
Cale Makar isn’t going to contribute to the the Colorado Avalanche next season. He’s committed to playing for the University of Massachusetts next year.
Kind of reminiscent of Tyson Jost — picking lower in development, watching the kid go off to college.
Next: Second Round Predictions for the Avs
The Colorado Avalanche still have six picks remaining:
#32
#94
#114
#125
#156
#187
Based on remarks from Avs scout Alan Hepple, the team considers that #32 selection to be pretty important. I reckon the team is looking to work on depth.
With the loss of backup goalie Calvin Pickard in the Expansion Draft, I also imagine the team will choose a goalie at some point.