Scott Wedgewood Leads Avalanche Into First Hughes-Makar Playoff Clash
scott wedgewood is set to open the Colorado Avalanche’s series against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday night at Ball Arena, with Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar meeting in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time more than seven years after their NHL debuts. The winner moves one step closer to the Western Conference Final.
Hughes and Makar at Ball Arena
Game 1 begins Sunday night at Ball Arena, where the Avalanche and Wild start a series built around two defensemen who have been compared for years. Hughes said, "Pretty cool to have been able to come in with him." He added, "This series with Colorado, I think it’s just a great opportunity to go up against those guys."
Makar and Hughes made their NHL debuts 18 days apart. Since then, they have met the kind of numbers that make this matchup different from a routine playoff series: Makar has 507 points, Hughes has 482, and Makar owns a 26-goal edge over any other defenseman since 2019-20.
Norris Trophy record
The two have also split much of the league’s recent defensive hardware. Makar and Hughes have won three of the past four Norris Trophies, with Makar finishing in the top three for five consecutive seasons and Hughes in the top three in each of the past two seasons.
Sam Malinski put the evaluation bluntly: "I’d say they are the two best defensemen in the world." That is the axis of this series, and it is part of why the opening game lands as more than a standard first-round start.
Hynes, Buium and the trade
The backdrop also reaches back to Minnesota’s Dec. 12 trade for Hughes, a deal that sent a huge package of assets headlined by former University of Denver star Zeev Buium to Vancouver. John Hynes said, "Made (me) a better coach, that’s for sure."
The friction point for both clubs is the missing depth on the back end. Josh Manson is missing for the Avalanche to start the series, and Jonas Brodin is missing for the Wild to start the series, leaving each team to open with one of its key second-pairing defensemen out while the attention stays fixed on Hughes and Makar.
Makar said Hughes is "very mobile and finds the right seams" and called him "incredible to watch" when he has the puck. He also said, "There’s so much (he respects)." That kind of mutual read is what turns Game 1 into a rare first look at a rivalry that began in the same draft-era conversation and now moves into the playoffs.
