By Emerson Williams, The Hockey News Intern

Last Saturday, Team Canada succumbed to the U.S. in a memorable round-robin 4 Nations Face-Off matchup. You could chalk up Canada’s loss to the Americans to a lack of offensive readiness or perhaps the three fights that opened up the game that displaced offensive energy.

Maybe the answer lies in a much more straightforward setback that will be different in Thursday's rematch when Canada's X-factor is in the lineup. 

Due to an undisclosed illness, defenseman Cale Makar sat out the great Canadian-American duel. He was replaced by defenseman Thomas Harley of the Dallas Stars. Though Harley performed admirably and played an intense role in the game’s third period – serving longer shifts on average than Canada’s other five defensemen – Canada struggled to fend off the Americans, losing 3-1. 

The essential breakdown of Makar can begin with his accolades. Makar has won a Stanley Cup, a Norris Trophy and a Conn Smythe Trophy, all by the age of 26.

Makar is revered for a number of reasons, most notably for his offensive approach to defensive play. With the Colorado Avalanche, Makar leads the NHL’s crop of nearly 300 defensemen with 22 goals and 63 points in the 2024-25 season. 

But what really poses Makar as a proper foe to the precision of Team USA center Auston Matthews is his skating ability. Makar’s swiftness is comparable to that of Connor McDavid’s, changing directions on a dime with flawless edge work. While Harley is fairly similar, with good skating ability and two-way play, Makar has a secret weapon – patience. Makar can easily carve out space for a decent pass or shot simply by timing his acceleration correctly. 

To be sure, it would be wrong to dismiss the efforts of Team Canada’s other defensemen. Each blueliner who played in Canada’s game against the Americans left the rink with at least one shot on net. Harley and Josh Morrissey also had three blocked shots apiece. Colton Parayko chipped in, providing two hits. And in Monday’s game against Finland – for which Makar was present – Travis Sanheim was the only defenseman to register a point.

So, does Makar really make a difference, even with his talent?

The answer is undoubtedly yes, even if Mikael Granlund and Matthews are drastically different players to face. Makar came away from the Monday match against the Finns with four shots on net, four blocked shots and zero giveaways. Not to mention, he led all Canadian players with nearly 23:24 of ice time.  

Canada is set to face Team USA for all the marbles in the 4 Nations Face-Off, and Makar just might be the X-factor in the face of towering aggression from the Tkachuk brothers and the unmatched shooting of Matthews. After all, a beast can come back twice as strong after you kill it the first time.

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