The Colorado Avalanche have announced that star defenseman Cale Makar will not play tonight against the Winnipeg Jets due to a lower-body injury. Not much information was provided about Makar’s ailment, but the 25-year-old just returned to the Avalanche lineup on December 7th after missing two games with a lower-body injury.
Makar played in the Avalanche’s last four games but didn’t quite seem himself as he registered just a goal and an assist during that time. Makar’s status is also up in the air for tomorrow night’s game as the Avalanche take on the San Jose Sharks at home in the second half of their back-to-back.
Makar is second in NHL scoring by a defenseman with eight goals and 29 assists in 27 games thus far this season. He trails the Vancouver Canucks Quinn Hughes by two points, but Hughes has played four more games. If Makar can get back to full health, he would have to be a favorite to win a second Norris Trophy for the league’s best defenseman.
Makar played just 17:21 in the Avalanche’s last game against the Buffalo Sabres which is well off his season average of 24:10. In fact, Makar hasn’t played less than 21 minutes in a game at all this season, except on Tuesday night against Buffalo. It’s not known if Makar suffered the injury in that game or began to feel discomfort, but more information should be available in the coming days.
Hypothetical…
Cale Makar hurts his knee and never plays again.
Finishes his career with 283 points in 265 games, a Cup, a Calder, a Norris and Conn Smythe…his current resume.
Does he make the HOF?
Obviously the games played is well below even the Cam Neely exception, but…would Makar warrant it?
I could make a case he would.
Nope not a chance. No way a guy who only plays 265 games makes the HOF. The reason some guys are in there is they could consistently play their entire careers. Don’t get me wrong Makar is an exceptional player one of the best forwards playing D to ever do so but in this hypothetical (and I’m glad it’s a hypothetical) I say easy no. However I do not think that will happen and Makar most certainly will be in the HOF some day.
@66TheNumberOfTheBest — He probably wouldn’t get in if that occurred. What would happen, though, is a crapload of pissed-off fans being denied 82 games a year (or more) of a fantastic show on ice, night in, and night out. I’d vote with you on his inclusion, though, just because I love watching him do his thing. I am concerned about the injury bug that keeps biting him.
I’d take a truly elite talent in Cale Makar in the HOF 1 million times out of a million over a slightly above average compiler like Pierre Turgeon.
The wrong standards are being used.
@66TheNumberOfTheBest — We can call the HHoF’s metrics, “Sentimental Statistics”. I liked Pierre as a player, but even though he has 515G and 1327 pts in 1294 games, with a +139, I never thought of him as a dominant player, but fun to watch. The numbers indicate a strong, defensive game. No cups apparently didn’t matter to the voters, either. Being in the 500-goal club matters a lot, apparently, but it depends on the guy who does it. Some still aren’t in. Maybe the 15 years in the playoffs swayed them.
Compiler? Isn’t compiling points the idea? Or is it now a bad thing?