Connect with us

CHN+

A deeper dive: Yep, it’s still Makar over Hughes

Published

on

As much as I’d like to throw Adam Fox in the mix here, this analysis is purely about the Cale Makar/Quinn Hughes debate, which overlord Dater started the other day and promptly started a meltdown in Canuckland. Consider this piece Phase 2 of the debate, where I drill down even deeper into the numbers. First, my objective:



– Who had the better season?

– Who deserves the Calder?

In all that is fair, BOTH had stellar seasons and both camps have valid points for their respective studs to be crowned the league’s best rookie. But in a world where everything and everyone has a title, gotta pick one to win it.

My votes will cast as such on each category:

1 = Clear Victory

.75 = Victory

.5 = Draw

.25 = Valor in Defeat

Makar vs. Hughes: The Ice Isn’t Tilted

There is no middle ground here, no fence to be sat upon. I love Quinn Hughes as a player. He’s legit. But as an Avs fan, my heart has said Makar for Calder all season. My eye test says Makar. The stats say Makar. People can argue age, roster strengths and strength of competition all they want, but they are all out of a player’s control. They don’t cause injuries, they don’t control the roster, heck, they can’t even pinpoint what their ceiling is at a young age. So how can you judge a player off what is not in their control? You can’t. Simple as that. All you can judge is what evidence is left behind, statistics.

Statistics, My Cheese And Vegemite

Statistics – noun – The practice or science of collecting and analyzing numerical data in large quantities, especially for the purpose of inferring proportions in a whole from those in a representative sample.
I’m a statistics guy. I love stats. Why? They don’t lie to you. They’re honest and don’t offer anything but something that is black and white. Statistics are simple, like me, sorta, but in a good way. They offer transparency where there is opaqueness. They define what it can be to be alike or, in this case, different.
Time to put science to work.

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Colorado's premier coverage of the Avalanche from professional hockey people. Evan Rawal, Editor-in-Chief. Part of the National Hockey Now family.

This site is in no way associated with the Colorado Avalanche or the NHL. Copyright ยฉ 2023 National Hockey Now.