Avalanche’s Cale Makar becomes first NHL defenseman in 16 years to score 30 goals in a season

One of the most dynamic players in the game has put himself in rare air.

On Thursday night, in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar scored his 30th goal of the season. It makes the 26-year-old the first blueliner in the NHL to score 30 goals in a single season since Mike Green notched 31 goals with the Washington Capitals during the 2008-09 campaign.

The goal came in the final meeting of the second period. Makar finished a great setup by Hart Trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon on the power play to put the Avalanche up by two.

With the tally, Makar becomes the ninth defenseman in the history of the NHL to score 30 goals in a single season. It’s the 18th time that a defender has hit the plateau in an NHL season. The first, no surprise, was Boston Bruins legend Bobby Orr during the 1969-70 season. Orr scored 30 goals five times in his career, including 46 goals in 1974-75.

That record stood for a little over a decade until Paul Coffey, then with the Edmonton Oilers, potted 48 during an impressive 1985-86 campaign.

Doug Wilson, Kevin Hatcher, Denis Potvin, Ray Bourque and Phil Housley are the other defensemen to have hit the 30-goal mark.

Makar’s scoring prowess this season is better than the rate he was producing during the 2021-22 season, in which he won the Norris Trophy and the Conn Smythe Trophy. He was a big part in helping Colorado win the franchise’s third Stanley Cup. That year, the Calgary native scored 28 goals and 58 assists for 86 points.

With Thursday night’s performance, which saw him pick up two assists, Makar has tied his career-high in points (90) that he set just last year. He leads all defenseman in points, moving up to a tie for sixth in scoring among all skaters.

In Makar’s already impressive career, he has posted 116 goals and 310 assists for 426 points.