Cale Makar, a Colorado Avalanche defenseman, closed off an unforgettable season by winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as Stanley Cup playoff MVP after scoring eight goals and 29 points in 20 games.
Makar won the Norris Trophy earlier this week and outperformed Tampa Bay Lightning player and 2020 Conn Smythe winner Victor Hedman in the Final. Makar became only the third defenseman to win both the Norris and the Conn Smythe in the same season, behind Bobby Orr (1970, 1972) and Nicklas Lidstrom (2002).
Makar dominated the Final, scoring three goals and adding four assists. He exited his own zone with amazing patience and fluency, executing a devastating power play, and, while his credentials as the league’s greatest offensive defensemen are undeniable, he may also be the best defender in his own zone.
It’s hard to think Makar is only 23 years old, yet he already has a decorated resume worthy of a veteran ten years his older.
Makar has already won the Stanley Cup, a Conn Smythe, a Norris, a gold medal at the 2018 World Juniors, the Hobey Baker Award in 2019 (given to the NCAA’s finest men’s player), and the Calder Trophy in 2020, in addition to two NHL All-Star first team selections.
Makar was selected fourth overall in the 2017 NHL Draft, and he helps underpin an Avalanche core that is now set to dominate the league for years to come. The club is stacked with studs that are either in their prime (Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Nazem Kadri, Mikko Rantanen, Devon Toews) or on the rise (Bowen Byram, Alex Newhook, Samuel Girard, who is now injured).
Makar was the quarterback of an Avalanche power play that torched opponents at a 33.3 percent rate previous to Game 6. His improvisational talent at the offensive blue line is unparalleled; he can shoot past traffic and penetrate the zone with a level of speed rivaled only by MacKinnon and McDavid. Makar’s connection with Toews is by far the league’s top defense pair, and it is only expected to improve in the coming seasons.
This is an appropriate way to conclude one of the best individual seasons we’ve seen from a defenseman in the modern era.
Makar is the best player on an Avalanche team full of talents who could challenge him for this title at any time, but he has more than earned it for the time being.
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