Hedman vs Makar
- Thread starter Kshahdoo
- Start date
Big physical D who can skate and produce elite level offense please. I love Makar too, but Hedman in his prime was the total package
VinikToWinIt
Number 1 Bull****
Makar is silkier, but Hedman is/was elite at every single aspect of the game. You'd be hard pressed to find a better "total package" player out there in recent history.
Nicklas Lidstrom - retired 2012. Total package.
Makar likely hasn’t reached his prime so this is a difficult question. If he improves AT ALL it’s him.
Fledgemyhedge
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Rengorlex
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Makar definitely. Hedman isn't that much better defensively, they both are pretty mistake prone. Makar just dominates at a higher level than Hedman ever could. And Hedman is still definitely in his prime.
Tufted Titmouse
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My answer is Makar and it's for completely selfish reasons - I like watching entertaining hockey, and he's the most entertaining defenceman since prime Karlsson.
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Hedman is one of the best D ever to play the game, literally no weaknesses in his prime
Makar could get there but he isn’t there yet
Makar could get there but he isn’t there yet
The Red Line
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It depends on the team in front of them. I want to say Hedman because having that rock on defense is really huge, but if NYR had Makar against the Kings in the cup final, I believe that would have helped a lot more than Hedman being that generating offense was very hard for them to do.
Comparing the two Conn Smythe runs Makars was more impressive. This makes sense to me to compare as both players peaks so far.
Makar provided more offence while also having stronger possession metrics across the board and also having a higher TOI/game. He also played more time on the penalty kill than Hedman did and gave up less chances against during his penalty killing time to boot.
Makar this playoffs showed a peak that another defenceman hasn’t matched in quite awhile in my opinion. Just look at McDavids possession metrics versus Makar, he had an incredible playoffs.
Makar provided more offence while also having stronger possession metrics across the board and also having a higher TOI/game. He also played more time on the penalty kill than Hedman did and gave up less chances against during his penalty killing time to boot.
Makar this playoffs showed a peak that another defenceman hasn’t matched in quite awhile in my opinion. Just look at McDavids possession metrics versus Makar, he had an incredible playoffs.
EdJovanovski
#RempeForCalder
Yeah that's what I was thinking.
With how Makar has looked in the NHL thus far, he could easily turn out to be one of the top 10 maybe even top 5 d-men to ever play the game.
Conspiracy Theorist
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Hedman might be slightly overrated defensively, but he's much better at that than Makar.
Fair points, but it should be noted that Makar played with the second best defenseman on his team in Toews (or at worst number 3, depending on how you view Byram that run), whereas Hedman played with the 5-7 best defensemen on his team (Shattenkirk, Bogosian and Ruuta). Makar also played a greater portion of his minutes with his team’s star forwards, including over half his 5v5 minutes with MacKinnon.
IWantSakicAsMyGM
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Both of them played with the best opposite hand partner their team could provide. The only real difference is that Makar is a RHD and finding a highly skilled LHD to pair with him is generally a much easier task for his GM. If Makar were a LHD, he'd have worse partners than Hedman.
Makar is also the most dangerous offensive defenseman in the league, so putting him out there with the top line as often as possible is a huge benefit for his team. Does putting Hedman out there with the Bolts' top line have anywhere near the same impact? Or are they better off putting Sergachev out there when they need to score?
Yeah and they still picked "less impressive" Hedman over Kucherov who scored 34 points during that run.
Makar would have been chosen over both, his run was the best run from a defenceman in a long time.
The Bolts best RH defenseman was Cernak who played with McDonagh. Makar being a RH shot can be seen as an advantage, given it’s easier to find competent LH defensemen, sure, but the point was that comparing possession numbers with very different teammate situations isn’t telling the full story.
This is also the case when it comes to the forwards. Makar is better offensively than Hedman, so it makes sense that he’d be used there as much as possible, but that’s also going to affect his possession numbers, and needs to be taken into account rather than just making the comparison straight across. That said, Hedman is very adept offensively himself, had 22 points in 25 games that run, and 85 this season. The Bolts are not better off putting Sergachev out there in any situation.
The Bolts best RH defenseman was Cernak who played with McDonagh. Makar being a RH shot can be seen as an advantage, given it’s easier to find competent LH defensemen, sure, but the point was that comparing possession numbers with very different teammate situations isn’t telling the full story.
This is also the case when it comes to the forwards. Makar is better offensively than Hedman, so it makes sense that he’d be used there as much as possible, but that’s also going to affect his possession numbers, and needs to be taken into account rather than just making the comparison straight across. That said, Hedman is very adept offensively himself, had 22 points in 25 games that run, and 85 this season. The Bolts are not better off putting Sergachev out there in any situation. And for what it’s worth Makar with MacKinnon that run was at 62.8 CF% and 60.1xGF%, while Hedman with Kucherov was at 62.8CF% and 63.2 xGF%, so yes, I do think the impact of them with the top line is similar.
Dr Jan Itor
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BraveCanadian
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I like Makar more because I prefer offensive challenging hockey.. but Hedman is a safer bet. If the league ever swings back to being more physical he'd be much more suited to it.
