Devon Toews Reminding NHL There's More to Avalanches' Defense Than Cale Makar
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When discussing the Colorado Avalanche's defense, Cale Makar is usually the first name that comes to mind.
And understandably so.
The former Norris Trophy winner has established himself as one of the NHL's premier defensemen, combining offensive creativity with the ability to control a game from the blue line.
But there's another defenseman in Colorado who deserves more attention.
Why Devon Toews Should Get More Attention
The 32-year-old veteran has spent much of his Avalanche career providing a dependable presence alongside Makar. While his defensive responsibilities have often overshadowed his offensive contributions, Toews is showing that he can still make a significant impact at both ends of the ice.
And through the first month of the 2026-27 season, he's doing exactly that.
Toews has scored five goals and added 10 assists for 15 points through Colorado's first 16 games, putting him among the team's leading scorers.
Those numbers represent an encouraging turnaround following a difficult offensive season in 2025-26.
Toews finished last season with just three goals and 21 assists for 24 points in 68 games.
It was his lowest offensive output during a full season with the Avalanche, a significant drop from the production he had displayed earlier in his Colorado career.
But the underlying circumstances offered reasons to believe his scoring ability hadn't disappeared.
Toews remained an important defensive contributor while continuing to play substantial minutes alongside Makar.
The question entering the new season was whether his offensive production would rebound.
The early answer has been encouraging.
But focusing exclusively on Toews' offense would overlook what makes him so valuable.
Since arriving in Colorado through a trade with the New York Islanders in October 2020, Toews has developed into one of the Avalanche's most reliable defensemen.
His partnership with Makar has become a defining component of the Avalanche's defensive structure.
Makar's skating and offensive instincts frequently attract attention, but Toews provides many of the less glamorous elements that allow the pairing to succeed.
Toews retrieves pucks, makes intelligent decisions under pressure and helps move play out of the defensive zone.
Those contributions aren't always reflected on the scoresheet.
But they remain essential to the Avalanche's success.
His early performance this season suggests the version of Toews that arrived from the Islanders may be returning.
The Avalanche have experienced some defensive struggles during the opening month and they have served as a reminder that individual offensive performances cannot compensate for collective defensive breakdowns.
Toews, like his teammates, will need to help the Avalanche get greater consistency.
If he can continue contributing offensively while maintaining that defensive reliability, the Avalanche will have another significant weapon at their disposal.
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Jason Fink is an NHL writer and lifelong hockey fan who fell in love with the game when he watched Wayne Gretzky’s Edmonton Oilers defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1987 Stanley Cup Final. When he’s not writing, Jason enjoys spending time with his wife Michelle and their son Theo and daughter Stella. Whether he’s following the latest NHL news or cheering from the rink, his passion for the sport has been a constant throughout his life.