Cale Makar debuted for the Colorado Avalanche just days after leading the UMass Minutemen to the NCAA Championship game. The 20-year-old defenseman might be young, but he’s already making an impression on some of the NHL’s biggest stars.
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado’s leading scorer for the last three consecutive seasons, clearly is a fan of Makar. In an appearance on Barstool Sports’ “Spittin Chiclets” podcast, MacKinnon spoke about how impressed he was with Makar, despite only playing with the defenseman since April.
“Cale Makar is unbelievable, unbelievable, this guy,” MacKinnon said. “I couldn’t believe how good he was. I remember our first game, I think he came in at Game 3 at home, and at morning skate, you generally don’t stay out there long, but I just like sat on the bench and watched him do, like, blue line shooting, and the way he moved on the blue line, it was amazing. He looks exactly like Erik Karlsson — a 21-year-old Erik Karlsson. He flies. He’s going to be an amazing player.”
Makar appeared in 10 postseason games for the Avalanche, posting six points (one goal, five assists) while averaging just over 17 minutes of ice time.
The 20-year-old claimed the Hobey Baker Award last season, which honors college hockey’s best player.
