Hughes didnt even hit 20mins of icetime in a blowout win. Not even top 5 on the team in that game. Makar is regularly posting 25+ mins a game and was #2 in ice time on the Avs. That combined with being better statistically is more than enough to give it to Makar.
But take it from a non-involved fan who has seen 7-8 games this season from both the Avs and the Nucks - Makar beats Hughes in the eye test too.
Hughes is top tier, I expect several Norris noms from him over his career, its just that I expect several Norris wins from Makar over the same timeframe.
Makar is certainly flashier and a better skater. That I will give you. He's more 'fun' to watch in short spurts, though Hughes is definitely reason to tune in as well.
Personally, I think Makar still deserves the Calder over Hughes, but acting like it's a given that Makar should win the Calder is a bit of a joke, tbh, especially if you've only formed that opinion based off of 7-8 games of each team.
There is an immensely strong case to be made for Hughes winning over Makar. They're both freaks of nature and hard to compare to any other d-men. I think, physically, Makar is more of a freak and a rarity, but that's the only reason I'd vote for him. He's just filthy and mystifying. Hughes is too, but I think Makar is the 'rarer breed', even if I think Hughes has had a slightly better season thus far.