Colorado Avalanche Top 25 Under 25: #24 Taylor Makar

Cale Makar has aged out of T25U25, but his younger brother Taylor is #24 on our list!

The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by Mile High Hockey staff members. Five writers have ranked players under the age of 25 in the Colorado Avalanche organization as of August 1, 2024. Now, we’ll count down each of the 25 players ranked.

Taylor Makar has gone from #16 to #24 on our list after an underwhelming season with the University of Massachusetts, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t hope on the horizon for the big-bodied and young forward. Taylor hit the transfer portal this off-season and will take his talents to the University of Maine, hoping for a more involved role as a member of a new club.

We saw Taylor at development camp last month, and one major takeaway from his appearance was that he is a big boy! That won’t be enough to get him an ELC from the Colorado Avalanche, but it won’t hurt his chances. We might be in good shape if he can excel in a more elevated role in Maine. Not many 7th rounders get a real look at an NHL contract, so the odds are stacked against Taylor.

I’m not suggesting that Cale requested the Avalanche draft for his brother, but I should mention that the Avs took Taylor in the draft while actively negotiating Cale Makar’s first big deal. Given the circumstances, I wouldn’t doubt that management considered further aligning themselves with the Makar family as an intelligent move within those negotiations.

The lack of separation between voters in our writers’ pool tells you that we all agree that Taylor has some work to do to build our confidence. The fan vote having Taylor as high as 9th and as low as unranked shows you how powerful the Makar name can be; it can elevate your status or establish unrealistic expectations.

2024 Top 25 Under 25

#25 Maros Jedlicka