The Colorado Avalanche are off to a hot start to the season, as they currently sit second in the Central Division. That placement is with the help of a consistent Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon breaking league and franchise records, and Cale Makar looking for his second Norris Trophy. Makar has been a cornerstone for the Avalanche since the second he was drafted. He is quarterbacking the power play and getting better every season, growing his game offensively and defensively.
Makar’s game this season has been mainly overlooked due to the sheer offensive powerhouse MacKinnon has been and how prolific Quinn Hughes was to start the season, but Makar is beginning to catch up. He’s caught up to Hughes in multiple stats, even passing him in a couple to make the Norris Trophy race even tighter as the season continues.
Makar’s Offense Looking Better Each Season
So far through the 2023-2024 season, Cale Makar has nine goals and 39 assists for 48 points in 36 games and is currently riding a four-game point streak where he has totaled six points. While his goal-scoring production has been lower than expected, he can still produce at an elite level with his passing, playmaking, and all the weapons around him. His playmaking was shown best from Nov. 7 to Nov. 22, when he had an eight-game point streak that saw him produce two goals and 16 assists, with three straight three-assist games.
Makar currently ranks second in points, third in goals, and second in assists among NHL defensemen, all behind Hughes and only the Buffalo Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin for goals. Makar is behind in specific stats but above Hughes in multiple advanced stats this season and is quickly catching up to the ones that Hughes leads. For five-on-five stats, Makar is ahead of Hughes in Expected Goals, Expected Goals Per 60, and High Danger xGoals, all while having 143 fewer shifts than Hughes.
Related: Makar vs. Hughes: Evaluating the 2023-24 Norris Trophy Race
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Makar also leads in multiple defensive advanced stats as well, as he is second in all NHL defensemen in PIM differential (amount of penalties taken versus drawn, with lower being better) with a -12, and leads defensemen in takeaways.
Maker Looking For A Second Trophy With Better Stats
Maker has consistently ranked in the top ten in Norris Trophy voting in his first four seasons. In the past three seasons, he has been in the top three and won his first…
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