Renck: Forget top defenseman, Avs star Cale Makar belongs in Hart Trophy conversation

It is time to have a heart-to-heart about the Hart While the Avs seem determined to finish with the the majority points in franchise history they have a participant poised to make history Defensemen don t win the Hart Trophy This has been pressed into our brains in the same way that only quarterbacks can claim NFL MVP honors This should not be the episode When the ballots are submitted after the regular season Cale Makar should be in a dead sprint with teammate Nathan MacKinnon for the NHL s MVP award And if the duel is close as is at the moment the scenario duality should win out Makar is on pace for points which would rank th majority of by a defenseman all-time and the highest since Calgary s Al MacInnis collected in the - season His candidacy remains unique Nobody is saying Makar is Travis Hunter or Shohei Ohtani but show me a better two-way performer The idea of someone on D as MVP is gaining traction Coach Jared Bednar did not dismiss it out of hand even while knowing that Chris Pronger was the last defenseman to pull it off in the - season He definitely has the talent He s having the type of year to do it Bednar mentioned Wednesday You are bringing a whole lot of players in with goalies forwards But certainly if you did a poll right now Cale is in the conversation If you value versatility it is Makar If you want scoring it is Makar If you are not afraid to think outside of the penalty box it is Makar MacKinnon is the favorite and his presence could split the vote He is a menace on ice leading the NHL in points and goals entering Thursday s home meeting against the New York Rangers A Hart Trophy already sits on his shelf so the voters know his credentials But if the Avs wagon remains a freight train culminating in a top seed will their eyes gravitate toward novelty There will be players with more points than Makar If he finishes in the top it is time to look beyond the statistics and reward generational greatness Makar is different His stick work is beyond description And not seeing his value defensively is absolutely negligent Makar is plus- when on the ice and he did not register a single minus encounter rating in October As Bednar pointed out there is no way Makar would play minutes a night if he were one-dimensional You have to go against another unit s top guys and win that matchup Bednar explained And he has dedicated his meeting to that knowing that is first and foremost Related Articles Scott Wedgewood is enjoying his moment and the Avalanche can t stop winning during it Ross Colton Victor Olofsson tally seconds apart as streaking Avalanche beats Islanders Jonathan Drouin didn t want to leave Colorado but is fitting in well with Islanders Avalanche center Brock Nelson on Islanders reunion at Ball Arena It will be weird Renck File Unselfish actions of Avs Nuggets are bread crumbs that lead to downtown parade It is how he does it that makes him special Makar is equal parts Barry Sanders NFL corner and Roger Federer His dominance lies in nuance He will deliver a hit picking his spots like on Jordan Staal but is not a bruiser He will gamble but not cash out Spending the past year as Makar s teammate goalie Scott Wedgewood put his skills in context It s a smooth flow rhythmic Wedgewood disclosed He is almost effortless on both sides of his feet It reminds me of a great tennis competitor You know how they can get overextended and make it back to the next shot Cale does that A lot of guys have to chop themselves back to a neutral stance and he s so good at extending and staying balanced without losing his power I don t know what he did to get it but he s got it Makar exhibits body control like Neo in The Matrix He has taken seven hits this season and blocked shots His speed remains mesmerizing Remember when he chased down Ivan Barashev in Las Vegas turning a breakaway into a broken heart knocking the puck off his stick before he got off a shot He just sees the challenge two approaches ahead Whether that s offensively or defensively He s inevitably in the right position Altitude analyst and former NHL defenseman John-Michael Liles stated And his skating is such a weapon Very rarely do you see him get wide or stuck in a corner And when he does get a puck he is able to escape He does things others can t Or won t The ability to cover ground fleetly and change directions reminds me of someone else in Denver Broncos reigning defensive athlete of the year Patrick Surtain II Those guys like Surtain are insane athletes To play that position in the NFL and back track against the fastest runners in the world is pretty spectacular Makar declared I am doing a fraction of what he does Makar is being modest Even Surtain cannot match Makar s impact because he rarely possesses the football This is not to suggest Makar as MVP is anything but a long shot Since the introduction of the Hart Trophy in only Boston Bruins legend Bobby Orr three times and Pronger have won it Makar demands Connor McDavid s Oilers to remain underwhelming He requirements San Jose s Macklin Celebrini and Chicago s Connor Bedard to cool off and for the Avs to hold off Jack Eichel s Golden Knights for the best record Is this scenario likely No Is it doable Yes I think what he is doing this season is sustainable This crew is very good on -on- and the power play hasn t really come alive save for a contest or two Liles stated If the power play clicks watch out Because of Makar s ability to close a contestant out and leave the scrum with a puck it leaves a man open for a rush Because of his speed he makes Devon Toews better And vice versa It s just a huge asset playing with him It s a good relationship I know I can trust him And I hope he knows he can trust me Makar stated For us it s a lot of give and take We have really gotten quite a bit better as far as the defensive zone structure works for both of us Because of all it the scoring the skating the spacing when submitting their MVP ballots voters need to be prepared to pivot And do something different If not historic It would be crazy if it happened Liles disclosed But given how good he is it is not crazy to think it could happen Want more Avalanche news Sign up for the Avalanche Insider to get all our NHL analysis