The Colorado Avalanche already have one Makar who can change a game in a hurry. Cale Makar is the headliner, the kind of player who sells tickets and commands attention every time he steps on the ice.
But Taylor Makar is making sure his name gets noticed, too.
The 25-year-old turned in a strong showing on Sunday night against the Utah Mammoth, scoring a nifty goal and giving his case for an Opening Night roster spot a real boost. The Avalanche even spotlighted the moment on social media, a fitting nod for a player trying to carve out more than just a family connection in Denver.
Taylor Makar is no longer just “Cale’s younger brother.” He’s starting to look like a legitimate late-round find.
Selected in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL Draft, he fits the mold of the kind of player teams hope to uncover in the back half of the draft, even if most never make it this far. The difference here is that Makar is not only hanging around - he’s pushing into the conversation for an NHL job.
That matters because the Avalanche are weighing him for a bottom-six role, and there’s real reason for that interest. He brings the size to handle a grinding assignment, but he’s also showing enough skill to make himself more than a straight-ahead energy piece. If that combination keeps building, Colorado could end up with two Makars driving the season in different ways.
The question now is where he actually fits.
A fourth-line spot would be the easiest place to slot him in, but it might not be the best use of what he brings. In that role, he’d probably be looking at fewer than 10 minutes a night and spending a lot of those shifts in support, waiting between Nathan MacKinnon turns.
Still, that kind of job would have value. He could match up against heavier opposition and maybe chip in a little offense along the way.
There’s also a case for giving him a look higher in the lineup. One possibility would be moving Nic Roy into the 3C spot and pairing Makar with Jaden Schwartz on the wings. That combination could have some real potential, especially with newcomer Fedor Svechkov not exactly blowing people away so far.
For now, though, the likeliest path is AHL first. Makar is waivers-exempt, which makes that route easier for the Avalanche to take. Even so, he looks positioned to be one of the first names called up if Svechkov or anyone else stumbles early.
For Colorado, it’s a useful problem to have: young players forcing their way into the picture. And Taylor Makar has put himself right in the middle of it.
In Other News...
Avalanche Got An Early Roster Boost Fans Will Want To See
The Avalanche got an encouraging look at some fresh faces in their preseason win over the Utah Mammoth, a 4-1 result that came together after a slow start and a much better finish. Colorado was held off the board early, then found its rhythm in the final two periods, where the offense took over and turned the game into a comfortable showcase of depth and energy.
Beckett Hamilton and Taylor Makar both scored in their preseason debuts, giving the Avalanche an early boost from players trying to carve out their place in camp. Ilya Nabokov also gave Colorado something to build on, stopping 16 shots after replacing Mackenzie Blackwood, and the kind of balanced showing the Avalanche want to see now is whether any of those performances can carry beyond one solid preseason night. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Preseason Opener Put Early Pressure On A Crowded Roster
The Avalanches preseason opener offered an early look at how crowded the roster picture already is, and Jared Bednar leaned into it by dressing a mostly veteran lineup against Utah. Beckett Hamilton centered the top line, Nathan MacKinnon sat out, and Colorado still rolled to a 4-1 win, a solid first step in a camp where every shift can matter for players trying to separate themselves.
Between the pipes, Mackenzie Blackwood and Ilya Nabokov each helped make the night look comfortable. Blackwood stopped all seven shots he faced before giving way to Nabokov, who turned aside 16 of 17 the rest of the way, and that kind of tandem effort only adds to the sense that Bednar has real decisions ahead as the Avalanche sort through the rest of preseason. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Fans Abroad Finally Have A Clear Way To Watch This Season
Avalanche fans living outside the United States and Canada will have a much easier time following the team this season. DAZN is set to stream all 84 Colorado regular-season games, along with select preseason contests, during the 2026-27 NHL season, giving international viewers a straightforward option on multiple platforms with subscription plans that will vary by country.
For a team with a growing national profile, the timing matters because this is the NHLs first 84-game regular season since 1993-94. Colorados games should now be far more accessible to supporters abroad, who have often had to piece together coverage from one place to another, and the broader rollout gives the Avalanche a cleaner global reach as the league expands its schedule. [Read more 🡒]