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Toronto Maple Leafs: 20 Best NHL Players Without a No-Trade Clause

By Jeff Borsuk

Deputy commissioner and chief legal officer of the NHL Bill Daly speaks at the podium during the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft - Rounds 2-7 at Bridgestone Arena on June 29, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)
Deputy commissioner and chief legal officer of the NHL Bill Daly speaks at the podium during the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft - Rounds 2-7 at Bridgestone Arena on June 29, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Cale Makar #8 of the Colorado Avalanche shoots against the Seattle Kraken . (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /

#1 – Cale Makar

Cale Makar has established himself as one of the best players in the NHL. The Colorado Avalanche couldn’t have known just how good he would be when they drafted the defenseman fourth-overall in 2017.

Makar may have the best hockey vision in the NHL. He seems to picks his spots better than anyone, passing with accuracy and helping his team set up for offensive opportunities. The 24-year-old from Calgary, Alberta has also shown that he’s a smooth skater with above average stick handling.

Makar is a danger to his opponents at all times. This past season, he recorded 66 points in 60 games. That came on 17 goals and 49 assists. For his career, he has played 238 games and scored 65 goals with 181 assists for 246 points.

Makar has spent time collecting awards in the NHL. He won the Stanley Cup in 2021-22. During that run, he also earned the Conn Smythe Trophy. That was a great year for Makar because he also won the James Norris Memorial Trophy. Makar is a Calder Memorial Trophy winner, which he was awarded as the league’s top rookie in 2019-20. He is also a three-time all-star. If that isn’t enough awards, the defenseman also took home the Hobey Baker Award as the top men’s player in NCAA in 2019

Makar is so good that he has been in the Norris Trophy race every year he’s played. In his rookie season, he finished ninth. He was the runner-up in his sophomore season, and won it in his third. Last season, his fourth in the NHL, saw him finish third in the Norris race.

Considering how good he is, Makar’s contract does not pay him his full value. That remains true despite him earning a $9M AAV. In 2021, he signed a six year deal worth $54M. Incredibly, Makar didn’t negotiate any trade protection throughout the life of his contract.

Next. 3 x Potential Stars the Leafs Could Still Afford to Sign. dark

There are many players in the NHL who will receive no-trade or no-move clauses but it’s always the ones who don’t have them that are far more interesting around the NHL trade deadline. While most of the aforementioned players aren’t going to be traded on their current contracts, it will still be interesting to track.

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