Cale Makar has been the best defenseman in the world over the last three years.
He, somehow, found a way to get even better.
Makar is on an exceptional pace through the first 19 games of the season.
Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella called Makar the best player in the world after he scored two goals on them in a 3-2 Avs win on Monday.
The 26-year-old defenseman is now up to eight goals and 19 assists on the season.
That is a torrid pace for a defenseman. Across an 82-game season, Makar is on pace to tally 117 points. That would be the eighth-highest point total for a defenseman in the history of the NHL.
Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey account for each of the top seven seasons in point totals for defensemen.
Erik Karlsson is the only defenseman to eclipse the 100-point mark in this century.
If Makar were to eclipse 100 points, he would not only be a lock to win the Norris Trophy, but he would also have a chance at winning the Hart Memorial Trophy.
Makar is +2200 to win the Hart Trophy on DraftKings.
This season, the defenseman with the second-most points in the NHL is eight points behind Makar. Makar is already -220 to win the Norris at DraftKings. That gives him an implied probability of winning the award at 68.75%.
Makar got off to a slow start this season defensively. He is still a -5 in the plus/minus category. That could harm his chances of winning the Hart as it did for Karlsson in 2022.
It is an outdated stat but voters will certainly look at it while evaluating defensemen for an award that goes to the best player in hockey. Makar is +2 in November.
His teammate, Nathan MacKinnon, could be his biggest competition for the Hart Trophy. MacKinnon is +400 at DraftKings.
But if Makar continues at this extraordinary pace, it will be hard to ignore him for the biggest awards in the NHL.
