<a href='https://www.markerzone.com/hockey/stats/nhl/player/Chris-Pronger-112' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Chris Pronger</a> was comparing Quinn Hughes to Cale Makar, and he tore <a href='https://www.nhl.com/canucks/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>the Canucks</a> captain to shreds when it came to who he thought was the better player. <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/vancouver-canucks/major-announcement-honoring-connor-mcdavid-quinn-hughes-and-connor-hellebuyck-has-been-made' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>We're in the golden era of elite NHL defensemen</a>, 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 The days of plodding, stay-at-home defensemen are gone; they have been replaced by dynamic players who can control the game at both ends of the ice.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. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/HockeyDaily365/status/1901099925129031934'> </a></blockquote></div> <h3>A defenseman could finally win the <a href='https://www.marqueur.com/hockey/stats/nhl/trophies.php?no=1' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Hart Trophy</a> this year</h3> 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 <a href='https://www.nhl.com/canucks/player/quinn-hughes-8480800' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Hughes</a> 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 <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class=instagram-media data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=https://www.instagram.com/p/DHTvQNQvfEg/?igsh=MTUycDVhN294MXd2Mg%3D%3D&fbclid=IwY2xjawJFQyVleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHdVr30gd613aqCWlMR5gSxmUW9ZCo5lVKuNIPJRTW5qMYp0aY7s00zaIIw_aem_g0qqxcEg9KhTkAmxAN9reA data-instgrm-version=12 style= background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);><div style=padding:16px;> <a href=https://www.instagram.com/p/DHTvQNQvfEg/?igsh=MTUycDVhN294MXd2Mg%3D%3D&fbclid=IwY2xjawJFQyVleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHdVr30gd613aqCWlMR5gSxmUW9ZCo5lVKuNIPJRTW5qMYp0aY7s00zaIIw_aem_g0qqxcEg9KhTkAmxAN9reA style= background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%; target=_blank> <div style= display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;> <div style=background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;></div> <div style=display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;> <div style= background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;></div> <div style= background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;></div></div></div><div style=padding: 19% 0;></div><div style=display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;><svg width=50px height=50px viewBox=0 0 60 60 version=1.1 xmlns=https://www.w3.org/2000/svg xmlns:xlink=https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink><g stroke=none stroke-width=1 fill=none fill-rule=evenodd><g transform=translate(-511.000000, -20.000000) fill=#000000><g><path d=M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631></path></g></g></g></svg></div></a></div></blockquote></div> <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/chrispronger/status/1901662204153549112'> </a></blockquote></div> Both play the same up-tempo styles, using elite skating to impact offense and defense. Still, <a href='https://www.nhl.com/avalanche/player/cale-makar-8480069' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Makar</a> 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.