There are plenty of things that cause one to go, “life comes at you fast.” One of those things, if you are a Colorado Avalanche fan, is watching superstar defenseman Cale Makar dominate every year.
On Saturday night against the Winnipeg Jets, Makar set another milestone in his young-ish career. He recorded his 500th career point with an assist.
Head coach Jared Bednar took questions after the game as he always does, and the topic reached the media room. Bednar’s response is can be described exactly like I mentioned.
”500 already?” Bednar asked when brought the question.
That’s right. It’s incredible given that Makar is just 27-years-old. He is considered the best defenseman in the league today, and the best defenseman of his generation. He became the fourth-fastest defenseman to reach 400 points (467 games).
Makar was the fourth-overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, and has developed into such a star that it looks silly that he fell to fourth. He averages 1.07 points per game. According to QuantHockey.com, he currently ranks third all-time in points per game for defensemen. The only players ahead of him are Paul Coffey and Bobby Orr. That is tremendous company to be in, and it truly is not a surprise.
Makar is on track to become a Hall of Fame player one day. Being the best defenseman in the league right now will go a long way when it comes down to his Hall of Fame discussion. At just 27, he likely still has 10 or 11 years left in him… at least. It’s not necessarily fair to predict how long he’s going to play for, but if he continues on this track, he’ll end up as the best all-time defenseman. I’m pretty confident in that.
Adding another Stanley Cup trophy and Norris trophy to his collection would also help his case—especially the Norris. He’s far from being done in the league, and Avs Faithful is so glad he’s on their side.