Scott Takes: Is Devon Toews the perfect partner for Cale Makar?

(Edit courtesy of @Avalanche on Twitter)

I’ll be the first to admit that I had no idea who Devon Toews really was when the Avs traded for him back in October. My immediate thoughts were: Well, two second-round picks for an unsigned defenseman was kind of a hefty price to pay for a team that is already bursting at the seams with young defensive talent, isn’t it? And, oh yeah, what about Bowen Byram?

But in Joe Sakic we trust, right? Right. So I did my research on this Toews character.

From what I’ve read and the highlights I’ve watched, I’ve deduced he was well worth the two second-round picks. You can keep those, Lou. And sorry about your cap issues you had this offseason over on Long Island. Had it not been for the Islanders’ cap quandaries, Toews likely would’ve never been on the table. 

At 26 years old, Toews hasn’t even really hit his prime. He’s a great puck-mover; he can anchor a second power-play unit; he’s smooth on his feet and he has a nose for the net. The guy loves to jump up on the rush and he has a heck of a shot, too. Sakic signed him for four years at $4.1 million a season and that could prove to be one of the most cost-efficient contracts in the NHL for a player with top-pairing potential. 

Let’s talk about that last point.