Avalanche Defenseman on Pace for Career Highs

The Colorado Avalanche's top defenseman is on pace to set new career highs in 2025.

Oct 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) skates against Seattle Kraken forward Eeli Tolvanen (20) during the first period at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images / Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

The Colorado Avalanche are not having the best start to their 2024-2025 season. The Stanley Cup remains the goal for their squad despite a slow start, and that won't change any time soon. That's just the reality of having three of the best players in the NHL.

The Avalanche have the most recent MVP of the NHL in Nathan MacKinnon, but they also have a perennial Norris Trophy candidate in superstar Cale Makar. The 25-year-old blue liner is arguably the best point-producing defenseman to enter the league since Erik Karlsson, as he's averaged over a point per game in each of the last three seasons.

The beginning to his 2024-2025 campaign is off to just as torrid a pace as before. Makar has two goals and 12 assists through the first seven games. The team might be 3-4-0, but their top defender is already in postseason form. He's already joined elite company by posting 10 assists in the first six games, becoming one of just six defensemen in NHL history to achieve that feat.

If he keeps up at this pace, Makar is likely to exceed his career-best output of 90 points last season. That doesn't seem out of reach, as the Avalanche are placing a majority of their offensive responsibility on the puck-mover, especially as the team's depth struggles to find consistency.

What is especially impressive from Makar so far is how much he's making the power play click. He has seven points already with the man advantage, or 50% of his point production. Last season was unsurprisingly his best power play production, with 39 points, but this season could easily top that. He and MacKinnon are absolutely lethal together, and there is little to do to stop them from executing their will.

The pace that Makar is on is likely unsustainable, as it would be the greatest season from a defensemen ever if he were to continue on it. Could he top 100 points though? Absolutely, he could. He's the best defender in the game by miles, and he's on a torrid pace. If the rest of the Avalanche begin clicking like Makar already is, look out Western Conference, Colorado is back.

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