Avalanche's Cale Makar Joins Elite Company

Cale Makar may only be 26 years old, but the Colorado Avalanche superstar already looks like a future Hall of Fame lock.

Makar, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, has established himself as the best defenseman in the league today, scoring well over a point per game while maintaining excellent defensive play. He already has a Calder Trophy, a Norris Trophy and a Conn Smythe Trophy on his resume, and now just added another incredible achievement.

With his second-period goal in Thursday's 7-3 win over the Columblus Blue Jackets, Makar became just the ninth defenseman in NHL history to score 30 goals in a season. He's the first to do so since Mike Green scored 31 goals for the Washington Capitals in 2008-09.

“It’s a great stat but definitely not getting there without these guys,” Makar said after the game, per NHL.com. “It’s a lot of effort from them getting me the puck and getting my chances, a couple of them.”

Makar has already matched last season's point total with 90 (30 goals, 60 assists) in 77 games, and still has five more games to add to that total. He's already the heavy favorite to win the Norris Trophy again, and it will be hard to deny him after reaching such a historic milestone.

Nathan MacKinnon, who leads the NHL in scoring with 114 points (31 goals, 83 assists), is still the face of the franchise and one of the very best players in the league, but one could easily argue that Makar is Colorado's most important player right now.

“It's definitely nice to have him on your side instead of going against him,” forward Parker Kelly said of Makar. “Just a special player, super humble. Just super happy for Cale and a really cool milestone to see in person.”