Cale Makar wrapped up another fantastic season in 2023-24 – earning a nod as a Norris Trophy finalist for the third season in a row. Those seasons are becoming one of the most reliable things going for the Colorado Avalanche. Statistically, this was his best season yet, as he accounted for 21 goals and 90 points in 2023-24. The assists and points were career highs – besting his previous top marks of 58 assists and 86 points in his Norris Trophy-winning season in 2021-22.
Makar splashed onto the scene with a goal in his first NHL appearance in the 2019 Playoffs. In the five full seasons since then, the talented defenseman has emerged as one of the best players in the NHL. He’s already won a Calder Trophy, a Stanley Cup, a Conn Smythe, and a Norris Trophy – and will likely win more hardware throughout the years. Trophies aside, Makar’s trajectory has him on pace to wrap up his career in some pretty lofty company.
Makar Has Good Shot at Passing Bourque
Ray Bourque and Bobby Orr are the two standard bearers for measuring high-scoring defensemen. Bourque’s economical play and vision made him the NHL’s all-time leading scorer amongst blueliners with 1,579 points. If Bourque’s career was a slow and steady burn, Orr’s was an intense explosion. Longevity wasn’t in the cards for Orr, as chronic knee problems kept his career to only 657 games. However, he produced 915 points and won eight straight Norris Trophies. His 1.393 points per game is the best ever by a defenseman and the fifth-highest mark in NHL history. Orr also had six consecutive 100-point seasons.
Makar is already starting to nudge his way into the conversation. His 336 points through his first 315 games put him in a similar spot as both of those legends through their first five seasons. Makar had the misfortune of COVID shortening a couple of seasons early in his career, but his numbers stack up despite playing fewer contests. In fewer games than either Orr or Bourque in his first five seasons, his points per game of 1.067 is right between Orr (1.204) and Bourque (1.002).
There are a lot of other outside variables, like injuries and such, that can impact the rest of his career, but it’s hard to believe that Makar won’t put together at least a few more 90-point seasons. Catching Bourque will be tough, as Makar still needs more than 1,200 points to get there. Bourque averaged 0.980 points per game for his career, which is staggering for a player who played 22 seasons.
Through First Five Seasons
| Player | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | PPG |
| Bobby Orr | 328 | 115 | 280 | 395 | 1.204 |
| Ray Bourque | 355 | 114 | 242 | 356 | 1.002 |
| Cale Makar | 315 | 86 | 250 | 336 | 1.067 |
Makar’s durability could lead to a long career, but at his current place, he’ll need to play 1,165 games to pass Bourque’s total of 1,579. That’s 15 seasons of at least 75 games, doing what he’s done so far. It’s important to note that 72 percent of Makar’s points have come in the last three seasons, meaning he’s only scoring more. It will be a more daunting task catching Orr’s points per game total, as only one active player (Connor McDavid at 1.52 PPG) has a better mark. Either way, Makar has displayed such consistency throughout his career that it indicates chasing Bourque down is within his reach.
Avalanche Give Makar Best Chance
Makar landed in the perfect place when the Avalanche drafted him with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. His offensive versatility was well known from his time at the University of Massachusetts, but his style of play fit right in with Colorado. He benefits from playing with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen – particularly on the power play – but his vision and skating ability make those players better, too.
Another notable teammate who has allowed Makar to thrive is his defensive partner Devon Toews. The Avalanche traded for Toews just before the puck dropped on the 2020-21 season, and the two have been partnered ever since. Toews is one of the best in the league at defending the blue line off the rush, allowing Makar to spread his wings in the offensive zone without as much risk. He also has his own offensive pop – meaning he can punish teams, too, if he gets some space.
Related: Revisiting the Islanders & Avalanche Devon Toews Trade
When chasing down some of the all-time greats, like Makar looks poised to do, it’s crucial to have a stable of elite teammates. Players like Bourque, Orr, and Paul Coffey had great supporting casts throughout their careers – but those weren’t coincidences. Ask MacKinnon, Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, or any of Makar’s high-flying teammates, and they’ll probably tell you that they’re worse without Makar on the ice. Much of sports is about where you land, and Makar landing in Colorado has allowed him (and the Avalanche) to flourish.
Makar Has Elite Company on the Blue Line
The NHL may have more scoring depth at the blue line than ever before, and there’s an emphasis on rewarding offense. Erik Karlsson has won three Norris Trophies, while dozens of NHL defensemen are better than him in the defensive zone. This isn’t to say Karlsson is a bad player or a defensive liability. He is great at turning the puck over and getting it into the other team’s zone. That said, points still play a huge role in determining who wins the Norris – awarded to the league’s best defenseman each season. Even when Makar won the award in 2022, there were some rumblings that Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators was more deserving – because he scored 96 points to Makar’s 86.
There is no shortage of highly skilled offensive defensemen in today’s game. One look at the finalists for this year’s Norris Trophy proves that. Makar is joined by Josi and Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks. Hughes is off to a phenomenal start to his career and posted career bests in goals (17), assists (75), and points (92) in 2023-24. However, he has three fewer career points than Makar despite playing 50 more games. Josi has recorded at least 85 points in two of the last three seasons and has been a pretty solid offensive blueliner his whole career. In 13 seasons, he’s piled up an impressive 686 points.
Related: Cale Makar Deserves to Win His Second Norris Trophy
While the 34-year-old Josi is on the back end of his career, Hughes and Makar could be battling for offensive supremacy for years to come. Add in the New York Rangers’ Adam Fox and the Edmonton Oilers’ Evan Bouchard, and there’s a great crop of young, high-scoring blueliners in the NHL right now. That helps all of them. Good competition makes everyone better, and having this many in the league at once will only raise all of their performances.
There is no way to definitively say that Makar will be the NHL’s all-time points leader among defensemen. One of these other players could make a run at that historical mark, as well. One thing we know for sure: The blue line is going to be pretty fun to watch for the next decade and a half.
