<p>One of the most dynamic players in the game has put himself in rare air.</p>



<p>On Thursday night, in a game against the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/columbus-blue-jackets/line-combinations">Columbus Blue Jackets</a>, <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/colorado-avalanche/line-combinations">Colorado Avalanche</a> defenseman Cale Makar scored his 30th goal of the season. It makes the 26-year-old the first blueliner in the NHL to score 30 goals in a single season since Mike Green notched 31 goals with the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/washington-capitals/line-combinations">Washington Capitals</a> during the 2008-09 campaign.</p>



<p>The goal came in the final meeting of the second period. Makar finished a great setup by Hart Trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon on the power play to put the Avalanche up by two.</p>



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cale Makar becomes the FIRST defenceman to score 30+ goals in a season since Mike Green in 2008-09 🙌 <a href="https://t.co/UbtC33p3NJ">pic.twitter.com/UbtC33p3NJ</a></p>— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1907968431019671865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>



<p>With the tally, Makar becomes the ninth defenseman in the history of the NHL to score 30 goals in a single season. It’s the 18th time that a defender has hit the plateau in an NHL season. The first, no surprise, was <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/boston-bruins/line-combinations">Boston Bruins</a> legend Bobby Orr during the 1969-70 season. Orr scored 30 goals five times in his career, including 46 goals in 1974-75.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="188"></div>



<p>That record stood for a little over a decade until Paul Coffey, then with the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/">Edmonton Oilers</a>, potted 48 during an impressive 1985-86 campaign.</p>



<p>Doug Wilson, Kevin Hatcher, Denis Potvin, Ray Bourque and Phil Housley are the other defensemen to have hit the 30-goal mark.</p>



<p>Makar’s scoring prowess this season is better than the rate he was producing during the 2021-22 season, in which he won the Norris Trophy and the Conn Smythe Trophy. He was a big part in helping Colorado win the franchise’s third Stanley Cup. That year, the Calgary native scored 28 goals and 58 assists for 86 points.</p>



<p>With Thursday night’s performance, which saw him pick up two assists, Makar has tied his career-high in points (90) that he set just last year. He leads all defenseman in points, moving up to a tie for sixth in scoring among all skaters.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="145"></div>



<p>In Makar’s already impressive career, he has posted 116 goals and 310 assists for 426 points. </p>
