Colorado Avalanche: Might Cale Makar Stay at UMass?

The Colorado Avalanche drafted defenseman Cale Makar with their fourth-overall two years ago, and many fans think he’ll swoop in as a savior by next year. Will he?

Colorado Avalanche prospect Cale Makar is dominating at the collegiate level. Well, to be clear, he’s dominating hockey-wise — I have no idea what his grades are.

In fact, Makar is doing so well at college hockey, that it makes me fretful. Will he decide to stay at the University of Massachusetts? Might he play the full four years at UMass? Might he then go all Will Butcher on our butts and sign with another team?!

Now, concerning that last fret, I’m not the only one who’s feared that. Avs insider Adrian Dater spoke with Makar and asked him that question outright. Cale gave us the answer we all want to hear:

"“No, I don’t think so. Personally, I feel that you have to remain loyal to the people that gave you chances.”"

But then, even if Cale were considering that option, would he tell an Avs reporter it was on his mind? And he did temper his “no” with an “I don’t think so.” Which can also be a “maybe.”

I know, I know — I already said I was being fretful. However, as happy as I am for Cale Makar personally, because he does seem like a lovely boy, I’m a dyed-in-the-wool Avs fan. Makar is our consolation prize for that horror story of a 48-point season — and I want us to benefit from our consolation prize.

What makes me fretful is that, before the season began, Makar’s joining the Avalanche at the conclusion of the Minutemen’s season seemed like a foregone conclusion. GM Joe Sakic stated that he expected Makar to join the Avs at the conclusion of the UMass season.

It’s Greg Carvel, UMass’ coach, who worries me, though. Before Makar committed to another season with UMass, he stated numerous times that he expected Makar to turn pro after another season with the Minutemen. Indeed, he stated outright at the end of last year,

"“But we know he’s going to almost certainly going to Colorado after next season.”"

Carvel added around the same time:

"“This time next year, he’ll definitely be in the NHL.”"

He also stated the following:

"“What he’s doing. He’s going to leave UMass after two years and walk away with the knowledge that he helped build the foundation of a college hockey program that can rise to the level of teams in the Hockey East and perennially be a team that can play in the national tournament every year.”"

Boy, that sounded just fabulous. I also lauded the decision, and for the same reasons. I’m not the biggest of fans of the Avs’ development strategies, and I thought it would behoove Makar to take another route.

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Around Christmas, though, Carvel changed his tune. Or rather, he stopped singing. When Dater asked him at that time if the expectation was still for Makar to turn pro after his second season, the coach clammed up and said, “I have no comment on that part of it.”

And that’s when I got fretful. Greg Carvel had comment on “that part of it” previously. Why the sudden backtracking?

Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic has done a couple of in-depth articles about Makar. In one that came out at the beginning of the year, he detailed Cale’s roots. I’m sure like most other prospects, the youngster listens heavily to those who have helped him along the way, most certainly his parents as well as his current coach.

And I’m just going to state it outright now: UMass is a better place for developing Cale Makar’s talents than the Colorado Avalanche. Do you really think Carvel and the elder Makars aren’t looking at how the organization have treated youngsters like Tyson Jost and A.J. Greer?

Because if I were Makar’s mother, I most certainly would. And I’d be wondering if my son had reached his ceiling of what he can learn in the UMass development program. And if I thought he hadn’t, I’d be advising my son away from the situation that seems to follow the old-school “sink or swim” mantra.

Cale Makar is a superstar at UMass largely because of his skill, talent, and work ethic, but also because the organization made the effort to develop him. If he stays, he’ll still be a superstar and still get that tailor-made development.

So, my affection for Jost and Greer are only part of the reason I’ve been so critical of the Colorado Avalanche’s dreadful developmental strategies. The team is in a rebuild, and the foundation of that rebuild is comprised of the prospects the team drafted.

You have to develop prospects. You… you just have to. And if you don’t, you waste the talent you drafted. You might also lose out on a talent that decides to go a different route.

And that is why I hope the Colorado Avalanche overhaul their development approach. Cale Makar may decide to “take some time to decide” when the Minutemen are done. He and his advisers may be watching what changes the team makes in the offseason.

And if the group consensus is that they don’t think the team has done enough to address these issues of development, Cale may stay another year at UMass.

I hope not. I really am a dyed-in-the-wool Avs fan, and I want our consolation prize, the lovely and so-talented Cale Makar.