Quinn Hughes Gets Torn Apart by Chris Pronger's Recent Comments
Chris Pronger was comparing Quinn Hughes to Cale Makar, and he tore the Canucks captain to shreds when it came to who he thought was the better player.
We're in the golden era of elite NHL defensemen, and Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar are leading the charge.
Hockey is a different game now, and the game is faster and more skilled. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the blue line.
The days of plodding, stay-at-home defensemen are gone; they have been replaced by dynamic players who can control the game at both ends of the ice.
The 2024-25 season is a showcase for this evolution. Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks) and Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche) are each enjoying historically great seasons, each in his own way redefining what it means to be a modern defenseman.
A defenseman could finally win the Hart Trophy this year
That they are dominating concurrently is a testament to just how far the position has come. Recently, it was nearly unthinkable that a defenseman would capture the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP.
The last blueliner to accomplish the feat was Chris Pronger in 1999-2000. And before him? Bobby Orr in the '70s.
When asked to compare Hughes and Makar, Pronger tipped the scale overwhelmingly in favor of Makar, downplaying Hughes, saying he is "absolutely not" better than Makar.
"Absolutely not. I think Quinn Hughes has taken his game to a whole new level but there are things that Makar can do that Hughes just cannot. Play with a physical edge etc. and defensively they do not compare. Both dynamic offensively tho."
- Chris Pronger
- Chris Pronger
Both play the same up-tempo styles, using elite skating to impact offense and defense.
Still, Makar has been more physical and logs more penalty-kill minutes. Regardless of who is on top, we're witnessing two defensemen in their prime, redefining their position in real time.
Hughes and Makar aren't just great, they're altering the definition of what it means to be an elite NHL defenseman. Pronger just needs to put a little more respect on Hughes' name.
| POLL | ||
MARS 17 | 429 ANSWERS Quinn Hughes Gets Torn Apart by Chris Pronger's Recent Comments Who is the better player? | ||
| Quinn Hughes | 226 | 52.7 % |
| Cale Makar | 203 | 47.3 % |
| List of polls | ||