Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes are, hands down, the two best defensemen in the NHL right now.
The Avalanche superstar and Canucks superstar are in a class of their own at the position, and that will likely remain the case for years to come, with both right in the primes of their careers.
What's more difficult is deciding between the two, though the consensus pick for the number one defenseman in hockey tends to be Makar, and it's hard to argue against it, given what he's already done in just six seasons as a pro.
However, the gap when choosing between Makar or Hughes, if there even is one, is so small, and many believe that Vancouver's captain is actually the more complete player. Canucks reporter Harman Dayal is in that camp, and he feels even more certain that Hughes is the better defenseman after watching opening night.
Here was his take during the Canucks Conversation Podcast.
"The more I watch Cale Makar, the more convinced I am that Quinn Hughes is better than him. I think unless you're watching each of these guys for full-length games on a very consistent basis, you're not going to notice how much more Quinn Hughes single-handedly drives things by himself. The way that Quinn Hughes is able to drive offense, drive zone exits, do everything without any help is something that Makar just doesn't have to do in Colorado," Dayal said.
"But I guarantee you if Makar and Hughes switched spots, Hughes would put up the same totals that Makar did, but Makar couldn't do what Hughes does, I think, all by himself," Dayal added.
After watching Cale Makar and the Avs last night, @harmandayal2 makes his stance clear on who the best defenceman in the league is.#Hughes #Canucks
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) October 9, 2025
Presented by | @bet365ca (19+) #bet365 #NeverOrdinary pic.twitter.com/8tKgqg0gMi
Makar tallied two assists in Colorado's road win over the LA Kings, which, as Dayal mentioned, included a few dazzling plays to set up goals along the way.
Hughes is ready for his best season yet
Quinn Hughes and the Vancouver Canucks are facing a crucial upcoming season, and the captain is feeling good ahead of puck drop.
The superstar defenseman recently spoke to Ben Kuzma of The Province about his health and game as a whole entering the year.
"You never plateau. I changed my whole training with working out, and I feel healthier than ever. That’s a real bright spot for me coming out of camp. I can be even better than I have been," Hughes said.
It's a pretty scary thought to hear a guy who's accumulated 168 points (33 goals, 135 assists) in 150 games from the blue line over the last two seasons saying he thinks he can be even better moving forward.
The Canucks will certainly need it if they want to make a return to the playoffs in 2025-26, and it all begins tonight with their home opener against the rival Calgary Flames.