Hughes vs Makar -- Battle of the Titans

[Miss Korea]

1 hour ago, Elias Pettersson said:

Alf is technically correct. Makar is injury prone and has already missed over 50 games in his short career. It’s the way he plays the game. Same with Bobby Orr. 
 

Hughes plays a game where he doesn’t get hit a lot and skates away from most problems. Hughes will be more of an Ironman similar to Ray Bourque. 

 

1 hour ago, Alflives said:

Yup. It’s the Bure syndrome. Some guys are at their best while carrying the puck. Makar is absolutely the best since Orr at attacking with puck on stick. But this makes him (especially his knees) vulnerable to injury. He either changed how he plays (won’t happen; he’s an Alfa and they die before changing) or he gets his knees destroyed. 

 

It's his head that always gets rocked.  He's already accrued a list of concussions but I believe all his injuries are upper body.

 

So I disagree with you guys suggesting he is putting his knees at risk. 

[Alflives]

1 minute ago, Miss Korea said:

 

 

It's his head that always gets rocked.  He's already accrued a list of concussions but I believe all his injuries are upper body.

 

So I disagree with you guys suggesting he is putting his knees at risk. 

Guys who skate with the puck, like Makar, will for sure suffer serious and career ending knee injuries. It’s only a matter of when. We might even get him next game. 

[Cromeslab]

Makar has a Stanley cup and a Con Smythe Quinn has a ways to go

[Miss Korea]

2 hours ago, Alflives said:

Guys who skate with the puck, like Makar, will for sure suffer serious and career ending knee injuries. It’s only a matter of when. We might even get him next game. 

Alright, but you can say that about any puck-moving defenceman.  Again - Makar has repeatedly missed games due to concussions.  All those games he has missed over the years are due to CONCUSSIONS.  I don't think he's ever had a lower-body injury during his 4 years in the NHL.  And those concussions are not from clean hits.  It's an errant elbow or a late hit.  

 

So how is Quinn Hughes, a smaller defenceman who is just as strong of a skater and handler as Makar... going to avoid dirty hits?

[Elias Pettersson]

3 hours ago, Miss Korea said:

Alright, but you can say that about any puck-moving defenceman.  Again - Makar has repeatedly missed games due to concussions.  All those games he has missed over the years are due to CONCUSSIONS.  I don't think he's ever had a lower-body injury during his 4 years in the NHL.  And those concussions are not from clean hits.  It's an errant elbow or a late hit.  

 

So how is Quinn Hughes, a smaller defenceman who is just as strong of a skater and handler as Makar... going to avoid dirty hits?

 

Bobby Orr used to carry the puck all over the ice.  Guys tried to take out his knees on every play.  And they went for his head too.  Do you remember when Pat Quinn knocked him out cold?

 

Makar is a similar type of Dman.  The more he carries the puck the greater chance someone is going to go head hunting.  During the Orr era, guys went for the knees as players didn't wear helmets.  Today, guys go for the head shots, which is why Makar has already have several concussions.

 

Hughes plays a different game.  He is a great passer of the puck.  He does carry the puck but he is very elusive.  He has better edgework than Makar and can get away from head shots alot easier with his mobility.  I don't think Hughes has ever really been injured yet.  He's only missed around 10 games or so.  I think he was just sick for most of those games.  His brother Jack is similar to Makar as he likes to carry the puck into the offensive zone, which is why Jack is getting injured more than Quinn.

[shiznak]

18 hours ago, Nucker67 said:

Put Hughes on the Avs and he'd break all the records and win the Norris

 

Put Makar on the Canucks and he doesn't win the Norris, always in the shadow of Hughes

 

Hughes is the best Dman in the league and will be for years.

Man, I hate the narrative of “put Hughes on the Avs and he’ll be a better player than Makar.”

 

If we had Makar, from the beginning. I highly doubt we’d be missing the playoffs all those years. Pettersson will probably be a 80-90 pts player, in those shorten injury seasons. And we probably wouldn’t have to rely on Myers, Stecher, Benn, Poolman, etc playing on our top 4.

Edited November 22, 2023 by shiznak

[Miss Korea]

1 hour ago, Elias Pettersson said:

 

Bobby Orr used to carry the puck all over the ice.  Guys tried to take out his knees on every play.  And they went for his head too.  Do you remember when Pat Quinn knocked him out cold?

 

Makar is a similar type of Dman.  The more he carries the puck the greater chance someone is going to go head hunting.  During the Orr era, guys went for the knees as players didn't wear helmets.  Today, guys go for the head shots, which is why Makar has already have several concussions.

 

Hughes plays a different game.  He is a great passer of the puck.  He does carry the puck but he is very elusive.  He has better edgework than Makar and can get away from head shots alot easier with his mobility.  I don't think Hughes has ever really been injured yet.  He's only missed around 10 games or so.  I think he was just sick for most of those games.  His brother Jack is similar to Makar as he likes to carry the puck into the offensive zone, which is why Jack is getting injured more than Quinn.

 

I think part of Quinn Hughes' biggest traits is to always take the path of least resistance.  His edgework and stickhandling are fantastic.  But there are times when the defender can close him off.  Rather than forcing the issue he will avoid contact and stretch the ice out with a good pass.  He doesn't try to push through traffic.   He will move around to create some space and pass it off before they close in on him.  Hughes makes things look effortless.

 

Makar is a different brand - he makes things look difficult.  His incredible lower body strength enables him to have the best edgework in the league (seriously - just watch a YouTube video and you will admit it's better than Hughes).  It also encourages pushing through contact instead of avoiding it.  While Hughes avoids traffic to find space elsewhere on the ice, Makar uses the traffic to create his own space, lending to more physical challenges.

 

Now, being physical should never be considered a weakness or drawback.  Once again - it is not lower body injuries that have led Makar to miss so many games.  He is willing to go to the dirty areas to finish the play.  That doesn't make him reckless.  It just makes him tough, and that is a very respectable quality to have in any sport.

 

I'm bothered by how you guys keep talking about his knees.  It almost sounds like you guys want him to get injured.  Players like Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes need each other.  The league needs both superstars playing.  And if Makar can't play his game safely, then it is on the league to accommodate that.

[HKSR]

5 hours ago, Miss Korea said:

 

I think part of Quinn Hughes' biggest traits is to always take the path of least resistance.  His edgework and stickhandling are fantastic.  But there are times when the defender can close him off.  Rather than forcing the issue he will avoid contact and stretch the ice out with a good pass.  He doesn't try to push through traffic.   He will move around to create some space and pass it off before they close in on him.  Hughes makes things look effortless.

 

Makar is a different brand - he makes things look difficult.  His incredible lower body strength enables him to have the best edgework in the league (seriously - just watch a YouTube video and you will admit it's better than Hughes).  It also encourages pushing through contact instead of avoiding it.  While Hughes avoids traffic to find space elsewhere on the ice, Makar uses the traffic to create his own space, lending to more physical challenges.

 

Now, being physical should never be considered a weakness or drawback.  Once again - it is not lower body injuries that have led Makar to miss so many games.  He is willing to go to the dirty areas to finish the play.  That doesn't make him reckless.  It just makes him tough, and that is a very respectable quality to have in any sport.

 

I'm bothered by how you guys keep talking about his knees.  It almost sounds like you guys want him to get injured.  Players like Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes need each other.  The league needs both superstars playing.  And if Makar can't play his game safely, then it is on the league to accommodate that.

Good assessment.  Fully agree on your points.  Let's also not say that Makar isn't a great passer because he is, but it's his choice of playstyle that gets him into physical challenges like you mentioned.  It's a real treat watching both of them on the ice.  I'm just incredibly elated that the Canucks finally have a defenceman of this calibre.  The 1st true superstar defenceman in the history of the franchise.  Brings back similar feelings to when Bure stepped onto the ice for the first time as a Canuck.  Arguably the 1st time in franchise history that we had a bonafide superstar, and now the 1st time we have a bonafide superstar defenceman.

[Miss Korea]

1 hour ago, HKSR said:

Good assessment.  Fully agree on your points.  Let's also not say that Makar isn't a great passer because he is, but it's his choice of playstyle that gets him into physical challenges like you mentioned.  It's a real treat watching both of them on the ice.  I'm just incredibly elated that the Canucks finally have a defenceman of this calibre.  The 1st true superstar defenceman in the history of the franchise.  Brings back similar feelings to when Bure stepped onto the ice for the first time as a Canuck.  Arguably the 1st time in franchise history that we had a bonafide superstar, and now the 1st time we have a bonafide superstar defenceman.

 

Each defenceman has a tendency on the blueline.  Cale Makar is a player who is not afraid to use superior skating and handling to defeat his defender.  He is also not afraid of contact.  This naturally leads him to attack down the side boards.  He can then choose to cut in with a deke or a pass, or pull defenders behind the net and reset on the other side of the half boards.  His willingness to attack the defenders more directly leads to some very impressive highlight moves.  Makar's mantra: "If you're faster and better than them, you'll beat them."

 

 

Quinn Hughes is the opposite style of player.  Hughes does not like running into traffic and will use his skillset in a completely different way.  He will not attack down the boards; instead he circles around to middle of the blueline and lets his teammate cut down the boards instead.  From there, the ice opens up and Hughes has different options to pass or shoot.  His aversion to contact and skill moves does generate less highlights, but his offensive impact is the exact same.  Hughes' mantra: "There are many ways to beat them, so pick the easiest way."

 

 

Tonight will be fun to watch.  See how many times Makar opts to cut down the boards.  And then see how many times Hughes opts to spin back into the middle.

[HKSR]

5 minutes ago, Miss Korea said:

 

Each defenceman has a tendency on the blueline.  Cale Makar is a player who is not afraid to use superior skating and handling to defeat his defender.  He is also not afraid of contact.  This naturally leads him to attack down the side boards.  He can then choose to cut in with a deke or a pass, or pull defenders behind the net and reset on the other side of the half boards.  His willingness to attack the defenders more directly leads to some very impressive highlight moves.  Makar's mantra: "If you're faster and better than them, you'll beat them."

 

 

Quinn Hughes is the opposite style of player.  Hughes does not like running into traffic and will use his skillset in a completely different way.  He will not attack down the boards; instead he circles around to middle of the blueline and lets his teammate cut down the boards instead.  From there, the ice opens up and Hughes has different options to pass or shoot.  His aversion to contact and skill moves does generate less highlights, but his offensive impact is the exact same.  Hughes' mantra: "There are many ways to beat them, so pick the easiest way."

 

 

Tonight will be fun to watch.  See how many times Makar opts to cut down the boards.  And then see how many times Hughes opts to spin back into the middle.

Man, watching both of these guys skate and dangle is something else.  Both are incredible talents.

[6of1_halfdozenofother]

2 hours ago, Miss Korea said:

 

Each defenceman has a tendency on the blueline.  Cale Makar is a player who is not afraid to use superior skating and handling to defeat his defender.  He is also not afraid of contact.  This naturally leads him to attack down the side boards.  He can then choose to cut in with a deke or a pass, or pull defenders behind the net and reset on the other side of the half boards.  His willingness to attack the defenders more directly leads to some very impressive highlight moves.  Makar's mantra: "If you're faster and better than them, you'll beat them."

 

 

Quinn Hughes is the opposite style of player.  Hughes does not like running into traffic and will use his skillset in a completely different way.  He will not attack down the boards; instead he circles around to middle of the blueline and lets his teammate cut down the boards instead.  From there, the ice opens up and Hughes has different options to pass or shoot.  His aversion to contact and skill moves does generate less highlights, but his offensive impact is the exact same.  Hughes' mantra: "There are many ways to beat them, so pick the easiest way."

 

 

Tonight will be fun to watch.  See how many times Makar opts to cut down the boards.  And then see how many times Hughes opts to spin back into the middle.

 

So in other words, you're saying they'd make the perfect couple... er.. I mean... D-pairing.  

[JayDangles]

18 hours ago, Miss Korea said:

 

 

It's his head that always gets rocked.  He's already accrued a list of concussions but I believe all his injuries are upper body.

 

So I disagree with you guys suggesting he is putting his knees at risk. 

Yeah... wait until Makar gets traded to Edmonton... that will really put his knees at risk....

get it??

 

 

 

 

get it??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cause they blow.

[Miss Korea]

I was looking forward to tonight's matchup but now I'm just miserable and deflated.

[Drakrami]

On 11/22/2023 at 10:08 AM, higgyfan said:

 

Wow!  C'mon now Drak.  I'll bet you have a link for that lofty information. 

? I've seen here and there from clips and interviews of NHL players calling Makar a beast and a human built to play hockey. I've also recently watched a clip of NHL players naming their top 3 players in the league and 2-3 people name Makar as top 3. 

[-dlc-]

It really adds another storyline to it all and is fun to watch it unfold. It's good to be challenged and have competition but the focus can't be on individual stats and accomplishments. I think Quinn has it all in check and puts team first. That matters most of all. Not saying Makar doesn't...I don't know (or care) enough about him.

[-dlc-]

On 11/21/2023 at 5:49 PM, Drakrami said:

Except.. all NHL players who has played against Makar doesn't agree with you. 

Yes because random you on the internet speaks for all NHL players.

 

I'm quite sure Hughes' name is out there....there's a family of them which is pretty rare in itself. I don't know that this is the landslide you've dreamed up...I think they're pretty closely matched.  Huggy's pretty silky smooth and elusive out there with the puck, even when pressured. 

 

Makar's also a year older than Huggy.

[Miss Korea]

3 hours ago, -dlc- said:

Yes because random you on the internet speaks for all NHL players.

 

I'm quite sure Hughes' name is out there....there's a family of them which is pretty rare in itself. I don't know that this is the landslide you've dreamed up...I think they're pretty closely matched.  Huggy's pretty silky smooth and elusive out there with the puck, even when pressured. 

 

Makar's also a year older than Huggy.

 

It's been two years since Makar won the Norris and Conn Smythe.  What's your point?

 

It's not a race.  I'm glad this rivalry is back because it wasn't there for a while.

[Coconuts]

Big fan of Hughes but I do believe Makar is better, it's a fun rivalry though even if it is mostly fan and media driven. 

 

Lot of high end young D in the league right now including Makar, Hughes, Heiskanen, Fox, Dahlin, Seider, ect. Folks should just be thankful we have a top 4 young D (argue whatever you like, but it's Makar, Hughes, Fox, and Heiskanen imo, not necessarily in that order). Things would be a lot different without him being our engine on the back end.

Edited November 23, 2023 by Coconuts

[HKSR]

On 11/21/2023 at 8:47 AM, Coconuts said:

In all seriousness though, they'll likely be tethered to each other for most of their careers by fans given how phenomenal they both are and their Calder rankings.

 

Quinn just pulled of a pretty crazy stat but Makar is right behind him, needs three points in two games to do it too. Considering they play us and a lousy Minnesota team next there's a strong chance he does it too. That isn't a knock on us, the Avs simply score goals and I'm not expecting us to shut them out: they're third in goals scored, fourth in shots on goal per game and they're twelfth in shooting percentage. Only knock offensively is their powerplay, tied for nineteenth. Wild on the other hand, they're on a five game losing streak and the Avs likely roast em. 

 

 

Surprisingly Makar won't be on this list (at least not this season).  He got blanked last night against Minny.  Best he can do is 30 points in 20+ games now.

 

Edited November 25, 2023 by HKSR

[Coconuts]

8 hours ago, HKSR said:

Surprisingly Makar won't be on this list (at least not this season).  He got blanked last night against Minny.  Best he can do is 30 points in 20+ games now.

 

 

Was a bit surprised, Minnesota hasn't been good of late 

 

Still aren't, but they were just good enough to deny Makar 

[Elias Pettersson]

Makar injured again.  @Alflives called it.  Dude is so injury prone.  Same as Bobby Orr…

[Drakrami]

On 11/23/2023 at 10:09 PM, -dlc- said:

Yes because random you on the internet speaks for all NHL players.

 

I'm quite sure Hughes' name is out there....there's a family of them which is pretty rare in itself. I don't know that this is the landslide you've dreamed up...I think they're pretty closely matched.  Huggy's pretty silky smooth and elusive out there with the puck, even when pressured. 

 

Makar's also a year older than Huggy.

Except.. I actually write my comments after watching clips and interviews from NHL players instead of blurting my mouth with 0 factual findings and trying to insult people by calling them random without facts, lol. 

Do you actually need me to link NHL players saying Makar is a beast? And he is a top 3 player in the NHL? Or can you google that yourself? 

And I never said Hughes isn't great, why don't you drink a coolaid? I was replying to a comment from someone who said Hughes is better than Makar and would be even much better because Makar plays on Colorado. 

 

It's also petty the Hughes vs Makar discussion disappears for 5 years when Makar was dominating the league and when Hughes becomes point leader for 2 weeks, Canucks fan restart the topic like kids with a short term memory lol. 

Edited November 26, 2023 by Drakrami

[Alflives]

2 hours ago, Drakrami said:

Except.. I actually write my comments after watching clips and interviews from NHL players instead of blurting my mouth with 0 factual findings and trying to insult people by calling them random without facts, lol. 

Do you actually need me to link NHL players saying Makar is a beast? And he is a top 3 player in the NHL? Or can you google that yourself? 

And I never said Hughes isn't great, why don't you drink a coolaid? I was replying to a comment from someone who said Hughes is better than Makar and would be even much better because Makar plays on Colorado. 

 

It's also petty the Hughes vs Makar discussion disappears for 5 years when Makar was dominating the league and when Hughes becomes point leader for 2 weeks, Canucks fan restart the topic like kids with a short term memory lol. 

Are you a Canucks’ fan? You mention “Canucks fans restart the topic” in a tone that indicates you’re not one of us. So why are you posting here if you’re not a fan? Is the season open now? 

[HKSR]

4 hours ago, Drakrami said:

Except.. I actually write my comments after watching clips and interviews from NHL players instead of blurting my mouth with 0 factual findings and trying to insult people by calling them random without facts, lol. 

Do you actually need me to link NHL players saying Makar is a beast? And he is a top 3 player in the NHL? Or can you google that yourself? 

And I never said Hughes isn't great, why don't you drink a coolaid? I was replying to a comment from someone who said Hughes is better than Makar and would be even much better because Makar plays on Colorado. 

 

It's also petty the Hughes vs Makar discussion disappears for 5 years when Makar was dominating the league and when Hughes becomes point leader for 2 weeks, Canucks fan restart the topic like kids with a short term memory lol. 

Lol players evolve over their careers.  Just cuz Makar was better than Hughes before doesn't mean Hughes can't be on par or better than Makar now.  Ask JT Miller about his production 6 or 7 years ago vs now.  Are you insinuating that Hughes can never be as good as Makar because of historical performance?

[Miss Korea]

14 hours ago, Elias Pettersson said:

Makar injured again.  @Alflives called it.  Dude is so injury prone.  Same as Bobby Orr…

 

what injury

 

56 minutes ago, HKSR said:

Lol players evolve over their careers.  Just cuz Makar was better than Hughes before doesn't mean Hughes can't be on par or better than Makar now.  Ask JT Miller about his production 6 or 7 years ago vs now.  Are you insinuating that Hughes can never be as good as Makar because of historical performance?

 

At this point Quinn Hughes would have to outperform Cale Makar for it to be considered a true rivalry.  The man has a ton of silverware in his cabinet already.  Legacy is absolutely an important thing.  Look at... Michael Jordan.  6 rings in 6 finals appearances.  A player would have to do better than that to be in that conversation.