Latest report sparks debate: Analyst drops shocking take on Avalanche star Cale Makar's place in NHL history
Photo credit: AP Photo / Jack Dempsey
Cale Makar has been rewriting the record books almost since his NHL debut. What started as a highly promising career has evolved into one that has fans, analysts, and insiders asking just how far he can rise.
This season, he secured his third First-Team All-NHL selection and claimed his second Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman.
Analyst drops bombshell take on Colorado Avalanche all-star defenseman Cale Makar.
Ryan Womeldorf from The Hockey Writers reports that with a growing list of individual honours, Makar has joined a select group of defenseman. At just 26, he's already accomplished nearly everything a player at his position can achieve. That raises a provocative question: how does he stack up against the all-time greats, particularly Bobby Orr, and could he eventually surpass even the most iconic names in hockey history?
"Orr is the only defenseman to win the Art Ross Trophy as NHL scoring champion, doing so twice. He won the Hart Trophy as league MVP three straight years from 1970-1972. He became the first two-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP, winning the award in 1970 and 1972. He also became the only defenseman to win the Lester B. Pearson Award as the best player in the NHL as voted on by his peers." -Womeldorf
That's not even counting his unprecedented streak of eight straight Norris Trophy wins from 1968 to 1975. Orr shattered countless records for defenseman, many of which still stand today, and redefined the position in an era when offensive contributions from the blue line were nearly unheard of. His influence on the game goes far beyond his impressive collection of awards.
"Other than Orr, no NHL defenseman may have had a better first six seasons than Makar. Even though debates go on about whether he or Quinn Hughes is better, Makar's resume is second to none. He also won the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2020, finishing 9th in Norris Trophy voting. It would be the last time he wasn't a finalist for the award." -Womeldorf
Makar had already been a Norris Trophy finalist in each of the past two seasons before capturing the award for a second time this year.
So what would it take?
First and foremost, it's important to consider the level of competition each player faced. Orr's early seasons came during the NHL's Original Six era, a much smaller league with fewer teaks and a limited talent pool. In contrast, Makar competes in a modern NHL with 32 teams, global talent, and elite-level parity across the league.
"If Makar could win a Hart Trophy as league MVP, it would close the gap quickly. Realistically, he needs to win six Norris Trophies or more to get him in the conversation. The Conn Smythe covers significant ground, but a second would also close the gap substantially given how hard it is to win a Stanley Cup in this day and age." -Womeldorf
Makar is producing at a rate that few defenseman in history have matched at this stage of their careers. If he can surpass 350 goals and 1,000 points, collect another three or four Norris Tropies, and add a Hart Trophy or another Conn Smythe to his resume, the case for him belonging in the greatest-of-all-time conversation becomes undeniably legitimate.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 18 | 29 ANSWERS Latest report sparks debate: Analyst drops shocking take on Avalanche star Cale Makar's place in NHL history Is Cale Makar better than Bobby Orr? | ||
| yes | 22 | 75.9 % |
| no | 7 | 24.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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