The Makar Monopoly: Why the NHL's Blue Line is Stagnating in the Shadow of a Giant

Let's be honest: we are no longer debating if Cale Makar is the best defenseman in the world. We are simply documenting the duration of his reign.

As first reported by Sports Illustrated, a recent list compiled by producers and analysts at NHL Network has selected Makar as the top defenseman in the league for the fifth consecutive year. In the world of professional sports, five years of undisputed dominance is an eternity. It is a monopoly of talent that should, by all laws of athletic evolution, be under siege. Instead, Makar remains the gold standard, and the rest of the league's blue line is failing to evolve into a legitimate threat.

This is not a case of Makar simply being 'very good.' We are witnessing a historical anomaly. According to Sports Illustrated, Makar recently finished the 2025-26 season as a plus-40, ranking third among all league blueliners with 79 points. He has also achieved a feat that had not been seen in over three decades: becoming only the 11th defenseman in NHL history to record 20 goals in three consecutive seasons.

When you look at the numbers, the gap between Makar and the field isn't just a margin; it's a canyon. Even those who are touted as the 'next' great threat are struggling to bridge it. For instance, the NHL Network list placed Quinn Hughes of the Minnesota Wild at No. 2, but Hughes remains firmly in Makar's shadow. While Hughes is an elite talent, the fact that Makar has held the top spot for half a decade suggests that the league is lacking a transformative force capable of disrupting the status quo.

To understand the gravity of this, you have to look at the comparisons being made. Ken Daneyko, a former NHL defenseman and analyst, noted via the Colorado Springs Gazette that people have been discussing Makar and Bobby Orr in the same breath. Daneyko emphasized that Orr changed the game and remains the greatest to ever play the position, yet he noted that Makar has been similarly dominant since entering the league. Daneyko's conclusion is simple: for his money, Makar is still the best in the world.

Makar's consistency is almost frightening. He has been named a Norris Trophy finalist in six of his first seven professional seasons. This isn't a peak; it's a plateau of excellence that the rest of the league's defensemen are desperately trying to climb. Even within his own organization, the gap is evident; while teammate Devon Toews is a high-caliber player, he clocked in at No. 20 on the same NHL Network list.

From a management perspective, the Colorado Avalanche are treating Makar not just as a star, but as the franchise's permanent cornerstone. Joe Sakic, the Avalanche President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, has made it clear via NHL.com that the organization's top priority is ensuring Makar spends his entire on-ice career in Colorado. Sakic stated, "Cale is going to finish his career here," and indicated that the team is already in discussions with Makar's agent through Bartlett Hockey to finalize an extension.

There is a sense of urgency to this deal. Makar is currently playing under a six-year, $54 million contract signed in July 2021, which carries a $9 million annual average value (AAV). With only one season remaining on that deal, he is now eligible for an extension. This timing is critical due to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the NHL and the NHLPA, set to take effect on Sept. 16. Under these new rules, teams can extend their own players for up to seven years, whereas free agents are capped at six. Sakic has expressed confidence that a deal will be reached this summer.

But the business of the contract is secondary to the business of the game. The real question is: when does the rest of the league catch up? For years, we have seen the 'modern defenseman' archetype shift toward mobility and offensive production, yet Makar has mastered these elements to a degree that makes everyone else look like they are playing a different version of the game.

If the NHL is to avoid a decade of total Makar hegemony, we need to see a shift in how defensive talent is developed. We cannot simply rely on 'very good' players like Quinn Hughes to challenge the throne. We need another Bobby Orr—someone who doesn't just fit the mold of a modern defenseman but breaks it entirely.

Until then, we are living in Makar's world. He was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, and since then, he has rewritten the expectations for his position. The fact that he is still the undisputed No. 1 after five years isn't just a credit to his work ethic or his innate skill; it is a glaring indictment of a league that has failed to produce a peer. The throne is occupied, and right now, the rest of the NHL's blue line is merely playing for second place.