Through 17 games of his first NHL regular season, Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is the early favorite to win the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.
Makar, 21, leads all NHL rookies with 17 points, tied for third among all defensemen. He had five more points than the highest-scoring rookie forward, Buffalo’s Victor Olofsson, entering Sunday’s games.
“It’s obviously very humbling, but I don’t think I’m there yet,” Makar said Saturday after his two goals led the Avs to a 4-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. “All the credit goes to the teammates.