Cale Makar Rookie Card Guide: Young Guns and the Avalanche Defenseman
Cale Makar's Upper Deck Young Guns RC, parallels, and the 2026 PSA buying guide for the Colorado Avalanche defenseman.
Cale Makar is the best defenseman in hockey — a Norris and Conn Smythe winner and a Stanley Cup champion with the Colorado Avalanche. In hockey, the Upper Deck Young Guns rookie is the card that matters, and Makar's is a modern blue chip.
Here's the 2026 Makar playbook.
Quick answer
Makar's flagship rookie is the 2019-20 Upper Deck Young Guns RC. PSA 10s anchor the market; Young Guns parallels (Exclusives, High Gloss, Clear Cut) and his premium-product autos are the chases.
Tier 1: The Makar trophies
2019-20 Upper Deck Young Guns RC
The flagship rookie card — the foundation of any Makar PC.
2019-20 Young Guns parallels
Exclusives (/100), High Gloss (/10), and Clear Cut carry significant premiums.
2019-20 Upper Deck Canvas Young Guns
A popular alternate Young Guns variant.
The Cup / SP Authentic rookie autos
Premium numbered rookie patch autos are the high-end trophies.
Tier 2: Strong supporting cards
- 2019-20 O-Pee-Chee RC — accessible base rookie.
- 2019-20 SP Game Used / SPx rookies — mid-tier chrome and memorabilia.
- 2019-20 Upper Deck base — entry-level.
Tier 3: Accessible rookies
- O-Pee-Chee Platinum and MVP — budget rookie issues.
Why Makar's market is special
- Best-defenseman status — Norris-caliber play drives demand.
- Cup and Conn Smythe — championship hardware anchors his comps.
- Young Guns scarcity — the Young Guns format is the defining hockey rookie.
Grading priorities
PSA dominates hockey alongside SGC. Young Guns have classic condition gates. Watch for:
- Centering on Young Guns.
- Edge chipping on the card frame.
- Surface scratches on the finish.
What to chase in 2026
- A Young Guns RC PSA 10 foundation.
- A Young Guns parallel as the chase.
- A premium rookie auto if budget allows.
Time horizons
Makar is a prime-window legend-track defenseman. Long-term hold with Hall-of-Fame trajectory upside.
How AI pre-grading helps
Young Guns centering is the grade gate. AI pre-grading screens before submission.
CardSense AI supports Young Guns and hockey rookies with PSA / BGS / SGC live comps.
FAQ
What is Cale Makar's best rookie card? The 2019-20 Upper Deck Young Guns RC, with parallels and premium autos as the chases.
Why are Young Guns the key hockey rookie? Young Guns is Upper Deck's iconic rookie subset and the standard flagship rookie for modern NHL players.
Related guides
The bottom line
Cale Makar rookies are a blue-chip defenseman asset on a Hall-of-Fame track. Anchor on the Young Guns RC PSA 10, chase a parallel, pre-grade everything, hold long-term.
Last updated: June 3, 2026.
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