Prospect Info: Cale Makar - D [4th Overall] Part III: Not A Prospect Edition

[GoNordiquesGo]

Sportsnet dropped a compilation of some of Makar’s best plays.

It’s a fun watch, when you have some time.

Makar for president!
You'd think he scored 100 goals with that video...

 

[The Kingslayer]

Quinn is going to be a fantastic player. I think I'd take Makar over Hughes just over the course of their entire playing careers, but that shouldn't take away from the depth of Quinn's talent.

I think the Ghost comparison is way off. Ghost was always awful defensively, in the Tyson Barrie school of offensive defensemen. Hughes though is sneaky good at the technical aspects of defending, like a rich man's Girard. He'll be able to play at a top pair level for a long time.

If we are comparing little guys I would say Hughes is a much better offensive Torey Krug with Krug level defense.

 

[cgf]

Quinn is going to be a fantastic player. I think I'd take Makar over Hughes just over the course of their entire playing careers, but that shouldn't take away from the depth of Quinn's talent.

I think the Ghost comparison is way off. Ghost was always awful defensively, in the Tyson Barrie school of offensive defensemen. Hughes though is sneaky good at the technical aspects of defending, like a rich man's Girard. He'll be able to play at a top pair level for a long time.

Totally agree with your general point...but if Ghost was Barrie caliber against the puck, he'd have a lot more success...

 

[The Merchant]

Sportsnet dropped a compilation of some of Makar’s best plays.

It’s a fun watch, when you have some time.

Not to beat a dead horse, but I've argued with Nucks fans about how much more dynamic Cale is than Quinn and the two highlight packages Sportsnet put together are evidence of it. Quinn is a great player, of course. Probably a better passer overall. But Makar is the whole package with lateral skating ability that I've personally never seen before. Better shot. More physicality. Better agility and top-end speed. If you have your choice, you pick Cale. Zero hesitation.

 

[Foppa2118]

Not to beat a dead horse, but I've argued with Nucks fans about how much more dynamic Cale is than Quinn and the two highlight packages Sportsnet put together are evidence of it. Quinn is a great player, of course. Probably a better passer overall. But Makar is the whole package with lateral skating ability that I've personally never seen before. Better shot. More physicality. Better agility and top-end speed. If you have your choice, you pick Cale. Zero hesitation.

Plus the insane about of posts and great saves robing Makar of goals and assists this year. He was basically this year's McPing

If he can keep working on his shot to make it elite, the way MacKinnon did, he'll see a similar increase in goals and points as Nate. I'm sure this applies a little to Hughes, but it REALLY applies to Makar because he had so many amazing plays that just barely avoided going in the net.

I can see him getting 30+ goals and maybe 100 points if he can keep improving his shooting accuracy and shot selection. He's just a world class generational talent on defense.

 

[avsfan09]

I remember watching the discussion about drafting Makar and we all tended to agree he wouldn’t be able to pull the stuff off that he did in Brooks in the NHL. Watching the highlights on sportsnet and I honestly think the stuff he’s pulling off now is more impressive.

 

[AegonLeConqueror]

I remember watching the discussion about drafting Makar and we all tended to agree he wouldn’t be able to pull the stuff off that he did in Brooks in the NHL. Watching the highlights on sportsnet and I honestly think the stuff he’s pulling off now is more impressive.

I remember telling my friend, verbatim, "I hope the Avs don't draft Makar". I'm glad I was very wrong.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Plus the insane about of posts and great saves robing Makar of goals and assists this year. He was basically this year's McPing

If he can keep working on his shot to make it elite, the way MacKinnon did, he'll see a similar increase in goals and points as Nate. I'm sure this applies a little to Hughes, but it REALLY applies to Makar because he had so many amazing plays that just barely avoided going in the net.

I can see him getting 30+ goals and maybe 100 points if he can keep improving his shooting accuracy and shot selection. He's just a world class generational talent on defense.

I think what would benefit him most is some work on the slap shot.

It actually improved throughout the year and he ended up with a few goals via the slap shot, but it can still be refined.

And I’m not just speaking about shots from the point. Makar is so fast, he’s able to join the rush as a trailer a lot of the time. If he can work on his half clapper, one-timer that would give him a few more goals for sure.

Side note: One of the most amazing things about Makar is as much as he joins the rush, he never cheats. Like, I can barely remember him leaking out of the zone and costing the team a goal. He’s extremely responsible in terms of when to attack and when to stay back.

 

[AegonLeConqueror]

Our boy!

 

[cgf]

Not to beat a dead horse, but I've argued with Nucks fans about how much more dynamic Cale is than Quinn and the two highlight packages Sportsnet put together are evidence of it. Quinn is a great player, of course. Probably a better passer overall. But Makar is the whole package with lateral skating ability that I've personally never seen before. Better shot. More physicality. Better agility and top-end speed. If you have your choice, you pick Cale. Zero hesitation.

...so, about that...

 

[The Kingslayer]

Our boy!

Its going to be weird cheering for him when hes a Flame.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Our boy!

Its going to be weird cheering for him when hes a Flame.

 

[The Abusement Park]

...so, about that...

I agree. It’s Makars North-South skating that makes him so special. Not to say his lateral skating isn’t great, but it doesn’t touch Hughes. Just like Hughes doesn’t touch Makar in vertical skating.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

I agree. It’s Makars North-South skating that makes him so special. Not to say his lateral skating isn’t great, but it doesn’t touch Hughes. Just like Hughes doesn’t touch Makar in vertical skating.

I definitely wouldn’t say he doesn’t touch Hughes lateral skating.

I think they just move differently. Makar does a lot of starting and stopping to shake defenders loose. Hughes does a lot more circling. Makar is much more sudden with his movements.

 

[The Merchant]

I definitely wouldn’t say he doesn’t touch Hughes lateral skating.

I think they just move differently. Makar does a lot of starting and stopping to shake defenders loose. Hughes does a lot more circling. Makar is much more sudden with his movements.

Exactly. His combination of burst speed and elusiveness are what really strike me as unique. I've never seen a stop and go lateral skater like him before.

 

[The Merchant]

...so, about that...

There's a difference between East/West and lateral skating ability. Hughes simply cannot keep his hips parallel to the net the same way Cale can. I'd argue it's one of his most valuable assets and a big reason why he's so special.

 

[cgf]

I agree. It’s Makars North-South skating that makes him so special. Not to say his lateral skating isn’t great, but it doesn’t touch Hughes. Just like Hughes doesn’t touch Makar in vertical skating.

Both are excellent in both areas so "doesn't touch" isn't a phrase I'd use in this discussion, but yeah...there's a clear advantage to Cale in explosiveness/burst, just like there's a clear advantage to Hughes in agility/shiftiness.

I think that's a big part of why we see Cale being even more lethal in transition while Hughes is better able to control the action once play has been established in a zone.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Both are excellent in both areas so "doesn't touch" isn't a phrase I'd use in this discussion, but yeah...there's a clear advantage to Cale in explosiveness/burst, just like there's a clear advantage to Hughes in agility/shiftiness.

I think that's a big part of why we see Cale being even more lethal in transition while Hughes is better able to control the action once play has been established in a zone.

Yeah don’t touch is a bit much I’d say. But Hughes lateral skating is definitely the better of the two while Cale is way more explosive.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Both are excellent in both areas so "doesn't touch" isn't a phrase I'd use in this discussion, but yeah...there's a clear advantage to Cale in explosiveness/burst, just like there's a clear advantage to Hughes in agility/shiftiness.

I think that's a big part of why we see Cale being even more lethal in transition while Hughes is better able to control the action once play has been established in a zone.

I think Hughes advantages over Makar lie in his puck skill and maybe a slight edge in passing.

Makar is a generational skater for a defenceman imo. He really has no weakness in his skating and does things that I haven’t seen before. I also think he has a great mind for how to initiate offence at even strength. Hughes does as well, but Makar more so imo.

Honestly, the two are very different players. Each offering something quite unique.

 

[Foppa2118]

I think what would benefit him most is some work on the slap shot.

It actually improved throughout the year and he ended up with a few goals via the slap shot, but it can still be refined.

And I’m not just speaking about shots from the point. Makar is so fast, he’s able to join the rush as a trailer a lot of the time. If he can work on his half clapper, one-timer that would give him a few more goals for sure.

Side note: One of the most amazing things about Makar is as much as he joins the rush, he never cheats. Like, I can barely remember him leaking out of the zone and costing the team a goal. He’s extremely responsible in terms of when to attack and when to stay back.

I agree. He's got a good slapper but it's just inconsistent. It was the same in college but he's slowly improved it. I think he'll keep working on it, but really with the way he's able to read the play, and jump down low, his wrister will be the key to a lot of his goals/points.

Yeah he pretty much always picks the right time to be aggressive. A lot of that is his skating though. He skates so fast he really puts the opposition on their heels, whether he's leading the rush, or is the second or third man, or whether he's jumping down low in the zone. Everyone's backing up, not stepping up trying to cause turnovers. They're just worried about getting beat and embarrassed.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Always interesting to hear the other side as well.

 

[Barklez]

Always interesting to hear the other side as well.

With all due respect to G, anyone that thinks Hughes’ effect on the Canucks is noticeably more than Makar’s effect on the Avs hasn’t seen a Barrie-less, Makar-less Avs.

 

[Avs_19]

Always interesting to hear the other side as well.

**** the other side!

 

[Barklez]

Always interesting to hear the other side as well.

**** the other side!

I mean, I’d love to get a good account of both sides at one time, in one place. From what I’ve seen, even the pieces doing a deeper dive into the strengths of both players tend to stick to the main talking points/narrative and are angling towards placing one above the other. Maybe there already are but I’d love to see some collabs during the stoppage. Somewhere like the Athletic could be doing a great job giving both sides of these stories, beat writers from both teams at least fact-checking the more hockeybrain/analyst-type
writers.

 

[a mangy Meowth]

Lol that radio show was such bullshit. Bunch of homers.

His only argument was that Makar has better players around him. Might be true, if we didn't have most of that talent injured a large part of the year. Makar was the 2nd highest point getter on the team and he also missed several games. Just so unintelligent.