Avalanche Draft Profile: Cale Makar

Get to Know Cale Makar

Date of Birth: 10/30/1998
Place of Birth: Calgary, AB, CAN
Ht: 5’11” Wt: 179 lbs
Shoots: Right
Position: Defense
Team (League): Brooks Bandits (AJHL)

Statistics

What Scouts See

Craig Button, TSN:

“I’m not saying he’s Erik Karlsson because we’re talking about a superstar and one of the great defencemen of his era, but (Makar) plays the game like that,” TSN prospect analyst Craig Button said. “He’s dynamic into the attack with the puck, making plays. He’s really, really top-notch. I think everything he has translates to the next level. I don’t worry that he’s in the AJHL. It’s not a negative for me.”

Peter Harling, Dobber Prospects:

“He is a dynamic offensive player with speed to burn and is very competitive. Makar has great hockey sense and reads plays well making good decisions when to join a rush. He is and undersized player and needs to add strength and learn to be effective defensively and physically despite being undersized. Makar has committed to play College hockey next year for UMass in the NCAA where he can work on his strength and play against older and stronger competition.”

What BSN Avalanche sees

An offensive dynamo, Makar is the kind of explosive playmaker from the blue line the Avalanche haven’t drafted in the first round since Kevin Shattenkirk. Makar is an elite skater in every respect and his aggressive attack mentality with the puck means a quick transition from defense to offense is his preferred playstyle.

He’s on the small side and the AJHL isn’t a league to produce much high-caliber talent but Makar thoroughly dominated in a way you expect a top prospect to dominate. He didn’t spend much time in his own zone and that side of the game will have catching up to do but his offense should put him on an accelerated path to the NHL.

Highlights

NHL Potential

This is one of the big questions with Makar. It’s hard not to watch him and think about what Erik Karlsson has done for the Ottawa Senators in recent years but it’s unfair to put that kind of upside on Makar. Defensively, there’s still plenty of questions to answer but his offense will be the reason he makes the NHL and thrives. He should be a power play quarterback and could be one of the top offensive defenders in the NHL within just a few short years.

How Prospect Fits in Avalanche Organization

Another prospect that fits kind of awkwardly, Makar’s biggest selling points are that he’s offensively minded and right-handed, two attributes that are hard to find together and have extremely high value in the NHL. They’re also two attributes that describe Avalanche incumbent defensemen Tyson Barrie and, to a lesser extent, Erik Johnson.

There’s no guarantee both Johnson and Barrie will still be in Denver by the time Makar theoretically is ready to make the leap to the NHL but they currently present obvious road blocks to Makar reaching his full potential. Ultimately, Makar’s upside is too tantalizing to worry about redundancy, especially on a blue line that has been porous for such a long time, and Makar would immediately be Colorado’s top D prospect.