Cake Makar: As Talented as Nathan Mackinnon?

[Three On Zero]

Makar is going to be an all star for many years. MacKinnon is possibly the second best player in the entire league. Those are some big shoes to fill for Makar

 

[cgf]

Depends on how brazen he gets. I feel like the biggest limitation on Cale's potential is his own realization that his skillset can do things that hockey players shouldn't be able to do. How much he explores that & learns to utilize those things to make the rest of his game more effective will be what determines just how good he'll be...and luckily this is an aspect of Cale's development that has been the most pleasant surprise.

The ceiling on his talent might be even higher than MacK's, and I can't wait to see how close to it he can get

We wouldn’t have even said MacKinnon had MacKinnon potential 5 years ago. Mackinnon will almost assuredly have a better career than Makar, but Makar’s upside is in that range. He could be this generation’s Karlsson. That’s pretty high upside.

That's not entirely true. Some of us were getting s*** on the mainboards for arguing that MacK had the potential to steal a Hart/Ross from McDavid & be a regular top 5 player, when MacK was still 18.

*he says in a not-at-all self-congratulatory manner*

 

[Muffin]

Development is linear according to Hfboards so obviously Makar is going to be a consistent 100+ points player.

 

[Ryan Michaels]

Development is linear according to Hfboards so obviously Makar is going to be a consistent 100+ points player.

I hate posts like this, just passive aggressive complaining so vague you have no idea what prompted it.

 

[Balthazar]

I don't think he'll ever be as impactful as Mackinnon is now (because no defenseman is, really). Even prime EK, who dominated games, wasn't on Mackinnon level.

 

[cgf]

I hate posts like this, just passive aggressive complaining so vague you have no idea what prompted it.

Give it a couple of years on here & you'll understand.

 

[Mac2Rants]

I think he has all the tools to be right there with Mack, Makar clearly thinks the game better, but Mack is a freak of nature. Makar is no where near that level athletically speaking especially at the same ages. I do however see Makars still kind of raw physically, if he works on that like Mack the kid will be unstoppable and have the be considered =/> than Mack Imo.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Even though Mack had more points than Makar last game against the Wings. Makar was easily the most impactful player. Man on the PP well when he shoots the puck from the blue line it seems to me that every time it goes through everyone and find the net/goalie. That’s what Makar is so good at finding lanes which we saw a glimpse in the playoffs (Landy’s goal in OT against SJ). First goal he found a lane to shoot which Kadri tipped on the first goal. Then managed to completely leave Mack open because defenders doesn’t know if he will shoot, pass or skate around the offensive zone which led to Mack’s wide open then 2-1. Of course it was just one game and it was against the Wings but if he can do that in his first season damn we can wonder what he will do at his peak.

Thing is even if Cale becomes the best defenseman in the league, the best dman isn't more valuable than a Top-2/3 Center/Player in the league and the 100+ point production MacKinnon gives you from the center ice position.

 

[tony d]

He's going to be a very good player but this is MacKinnon. His potential is on a whole other level.

 

[El Travo]

Development is linear according to Hfboards so obviously Makar is going to be a consistent 100+ points player.

At some point he's going to reach 200 because he'll just keep getting better and better.

 

[Krewe]

Quim Hughes. He's an All Star therefore has higher potential.

There's probabaly at least 10 defenseman in the league better than both right now, unless I am seriously misreading you

 

[Regal]

Depends on how brazen he gets. I feel like the biggest limitation on Cale's potential is his own realization that his skillset can do things that hockey players shouldn't be able to do. How much he explores that & learns to utilize those things to make the rest of his game more effective will be what determines just how good he'll be...and luckily this is an aspect of Cale's development that has been the most pleasant surprise.

The ceiling on his talent might be even higher than MacK's, and I can't wait to see how close to it he can get


That's not entirely true. Some of us were getting s*** on the mainboards for arguing that MacK had the potential to steal a Hart/Ross from McDavid & be a regular top 5 player, when MacK was still 18.

*he says in a not-at-all self-congratulatory manner*

I might be misremembering, but I thought the general consensus here was similar after his playoffs that year, and it wasn't until his disappointing follow up that he started being questioned (Mostly by Flames fans)

 

[cgf]

I might be misremembering, but I thought the general consensus here was similar after his playoffs that year, and it wasn't until his disappointing follow up that he started being questioned (Mostly by Flames fans)

I may be misreading your post, really need to get to bed soon. But between Seth Jones getting the early hype in that class, Barkov making a serious late-push for that top spot, and people already looking forward to the McDavid draft; the hype around MacK was pretty tame for a 1st overall before he tore the Wild up in the playoffs after finishing the season on a tear...and even over that summer, predicting him to become a top 5 player -- aka having "MacKinnon-potential" himself -- got a lot of pushback

 

[Regal]

I may be misreading your post, really need to get to bed soon. But between Seth Jones getting the early hype in that class, Barkov making a serious late-push for that top spot, and people already looking forward to the McDavid draft; the hype around MacK was pretty tame for a 1st overall before he tore the Wild up in the playoffs after finishing the season on a tear...and even over that summer, predicting him to become a top 5 player -- aka having "MacKinnon-potential" himself -- got a lot of pushback

Oh ok, you were talking more about the draft. Yea, I'd agree with that. I thought after his rookie year though, expectations became sky high for a lot of people on here. But I probably wasn't as engaged in those convos.

 

[Mac Attack]

I don't think he'll ever be as impactful as Mackinnon is now (because no defenseman is, really). Even prime EK, who dominated games, wasn't on Mackinnon level.

Um yes he was. Prime EK was insane. He singlehandedly almost dragged the sens to the final.

 

[Bounces R Way]

Cale Makar is almost ppg as a 21 year old defenseman. You really have to make an effort to grasp the gravity of that. That straight up doesn't happen, not since the eighties. He is the full package and then some.

Makar and MacKinnon are two of the most powerful skaters in the world. They can take over games. I'd really have a tough time putting one over the other but I have a tendency to side with how well a player can think the game. Personally would go with Makar for hockey IQ, and that's just another reason I believe his ceiling to be extremely high.

 

[Muffin]

Cale Makar is almost ppg as a 21 year old defenseman. You really have to make an effort to grasp the gravity of that. That straight up doesn't happen, not since the eighties. He is the full package and then some.

Makar and MacKinnon are two of the most powerful skaters in the world. They can take over games. I'd really have a tough time putting one over the other but I have a tendency to side with how well a player can think the game. Personally would go with Makar for hockey IQ, and that's just another reason I believe his ceiling to be extremely high.

Not sure why people try to downplay Makar so much. PRIME Erik Karlsson was a point per game Defenseman and a ROOKIE Cale Makar is on paced for over 70 points. The sky is the limit for Makar, he could literally be the best Defenseman of this generation.
It's not a coinsidence MacKinnon is having the best season of his career with Makar on the team:

 

[QJL]

Cale Makar is almost ppg as a 21 year old defenseman. You really have to make an effort to grasp the gravity of that. That straight up doesn't happen, not since the eighties. He is the full package and then some.

Makar and MacKinnon are two of the most powerful skaters in the world. They can take over games. I'd really have a tough time putting one over the other but I have a tendency to side with how well a player can think the game. Personally would go with Makar for hockey IQ, and that's just another reason I believe his ceiling to be extremely high.

For the sake of argument accuracy, Erik Karlsson had a slightly higher ppg 21yo season than Makar does right now. 78 points in 81 games.

Makar is currently at 0.90 with a talented offensive group while Chabot was 0.79 as a 21yo last season on the worst team in the league.

Let’s see how the next few months unfold before declaring this the most impressive 21yo dman season since the eighties.

 

[Mac2Rants]

For the sake of argument accuracy, Erik Karlsson had a slightly higher ppg 21yo season than Makar does right now. 78 points in 81 games.

Makar is currently at 0.90 with a talented offensive group while Chabot was 0.79 as a 21yo last season on the worst team in the league.

Let’s see how the next few months unfold before declaring this the most impressive 21yo dman season since the eighties.

Karlsson wasn't a rookie. And chatbot wasn't alone till around Feb 25 when they fully gutted the team small sample size but in that little 15 game span that .79ppg went down to .5 and is still there yet at 22 although on a bad team...

Edit: days away from 23yrs old now, also Chabot even played 64 games before last year

 

[QJL]

Karlsson wasn't a rookie. And chatbot wasn't alone till around Feb 25 when they fully gutted the team small sample size but in that little 15 game span that .79ppg went down to .5 and is still there yet at 22 although on a bad team...

Edit: days away from 23yrs old now, also Chabot even played 64 games before last year

Your original post said nothing about rookie status. You just mentioned 21 years old which Karlsson was for the entirety of that season. Based on his performance in the NCAA, Makar clearly could have handled the NHL last season.

The Chabot comments have merit and I agree Makar’s season is better to date.

 

[Mac2Rants]

Your original post said nothing about rookie status. You just mentioned 21 years old which Karlsson was for the entirety of that season. Based on his performance in the NCAA, Makar clearly could have handled the NHL last season.

The Chabot comments have merit and I agree Makar’s season is better to date.

umm my original post had nohing to do with karlsson lmao

 

[QJL]

umm my original post had nohing to do with karlsson lmao

I wasn’t responding to your post originally. The comment I responded to was that no 21yo defenseman has had a season like Makar since the eighties. Karlsson’s season was more impressive. You missed the original context of the debate.

 

[cgf]

No need to get heated. I think we can all agree that Chabot & Karlsson don't even compare to Cale

 

[Sergei Shirokov]

Makar's acceleration is just ridiculous. On that goal against Detriot he's off the blueline line & alone in an instant.

I vote MacK, I just have a hard time seeing Makar individually dominate on a consistent basis like MacKinnon does. I guess its not impossible, but idk... its not really a knock either, MacKinnon is just a freak.

I will say being a C probably helps, he has more of a green light to create than Makar will.

 

[Kaner9]

More smooth less power. I prefer Nate