Cale Makar voted NHL’s best defenseman a fifth year in a row

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is waiting for a massive new contract from the team.

But that doesn’t mean he’s not still making offseason headlines.

Makar was voted the No. 1 defenseman in the league by NHL Network producers and analysts on Sunday night, the fifth straight year he’s topped the list.

Cale Makar (@Avalanche) takes the top spot on NHL Network's Top 20 Defensemen Right Now list for the fifth straight year! 🥬

📺: #NHLTopPlayers on NHL Network pic.twitter.com/0YooxA3Ur9

— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) August 9, 2026

It’s a testament to the greatness of Cale Makar that every year his play remains consistent. He was a Norris Trophy finalist for the 2025-26 season, the sixth time in his seven years that’s been the case. Only the legendary Bobby Orr has also pulled that off to start a career.

Makar played in 75 regular season games and had 20 goals and 59 assists, good for 79 points. He’s only the 11th defenseman in NHL history to score 20-plus goals in three straight years. Makar also reached 500 career points, a remarkable milestone for a defenseman who’s only 27-years-old.

And the Avalanche missed Makar in the playoffs after he couldn’t play the first two games of the Western Conference Final with hip and shoulder injuries. Colorado fell down 0-2 at home to Vegas and were shockingly swept in a year that felt like another Stanley Cup might happen.

Avs GM Joe Sakic vowed Cale Makar will play his whole career in Colorado at an end-of-season press conference. There’s still time to get a new deal done, but hopefully pen is put to paper before training camp opens in mid-September.

In the meantime, Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews is No. 20 on the list of best defenseman, with Quinn Hughes from the Wild checking in at No. 2.

To see the full rankings, click here.

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