For the fifth consecutive year, Cale Makar has claimed the top spot on NHL Network's annual defenseman rankings. The Avalanche blueliner earned the distinction from the network's producers and analysts, holding off Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes to keep his position at the summit of the list.
The honor has arrived alongside growing comparisons to the game's historical giants. Analyst and former NHL defenseman Ken Daneyko offered a striking assessment, saying, "We were talking a couple years ago about Cale Makar and Bobby Orr in the same breath," adding that Orr "changed the game" and that Makar "has been that dominant since he has come into the National Hockey League. … He's still the best defenseman in the world, for my money."
The statistics from last season reinforce that standing. Among all NHL defensemen, Makar ranked third in points with 79 and posted a plus-40 rating. His Norris Trophy finalist nod placed him alongside Bobby Orr as one of only two defensemen ever to reach finalist status in six of their first seven NHL campaigns. Makar also joined a very short list of rearguards to pot 20 goals in three straight seasons — the 11th ever to do so — and the first to accomplish it in more than three decades.
Contract matters will shadow his on-ice achievements as the new season approaches. At 27, Makar is heading into the concluding year of the deal he signed in 2021, and his next contract could carry the largest cap figure ever attached to a defenseman in league history.
Makar was not the only member of the Colorado blue line to draw notice. His defensive partner Devon Toews also earned a place on the network's ranking, checking in at number 20. The two skated together as Canada's top defensive pairing at the Winter Olympics. The Avalanche received additional recognition the previous week, when forward Martin Necas landed at 15th on the network's winger rankings.
Training camp is set to open September 16, at which point Makar's contract situation and Colorado's early-season form will be the stories to watch.