Stating that Cale Makar should win the Norris Trophy every year is like saying that water is wet.
There is little anyone can argue that the Colorado Avalanche superstar shouldn’t win the award for the NHL’s best defenseman.
But if you ask a former Norris Trophy winner, there’s no reason why the NHL shouldn’t just hand Makar the Norris.
In a recent interview with RG Media, LA Kings captain Drew Doughty, the 2016 Norris Trophy winner, made a clear case for Makar to get the Norris every season.
“Cale Makar is no doubt the best defenseman in the league, I don’t care what anybody says, any year. No one else should win it. He is that good.”
If Doughty had left his argument there, very few could counter it. But the veteran blueliner took things one more step, leaving no doubt that Makar is the best defenseman in the league in his view.
“Compared to other guys that are always up with him for it, none of them defend even close to the way he does, so I think the right guy is winning it right now, and I think he should win it every year.”
Doughty’s comments regarding Makar’s all-around game are crucial. There is not much talk about blueliners like Evan Bouchard winning the Norris based solely on their offensive contributions. But if Zach Werenski was any indication last season, voters may have finally realized that offense isn’t everything when picking the NHL’s best defenseman.
Cale Makar off to a quietly good start this season
For all the talk of Bouchard’s blistering start this season, Makar has had a quietly strong start himself. The Avalanche blueliner has registered three goals and nine points in seven games. He’s seemingly returned to form following offseason surgery to repair the injury he sustained at the end of last year.
Makar and defense partner Devon Toews have been their usual, reliable selves. And even if the Avalanche defense hasn’t quite been elite this season, there is little question that the Avs have the best blueline corps in the NHL.
On top of that, we’ve seen a bit of a revamped power play relying more on Makar shooting the puck. This season, the setup with the man advantage has focused on giving Makar the puck, and then blasting it from the point.
That’s something that the Avalanche will be looking to capitalize on as they take on the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night as they kick off a back-to-back East Coast set, starting in Philly and then moving on to New Jersey on Tuesday night.
Add us as a preferred source on Google