The Colorado Avalanche will be missing the services of star defenseman Cale Makar for at least the next few games, according to Avs head coach Jared Bednar.
“He's doing OK,” Bednar said on Wednesday before sharing that the blueliner will be sidelined for now, via NHL.com.
“He's going to miss some time, though. Like nothing serious, like nothing that's putting (the) playoffs in jeopardy or anything like that. … It's like if someone has something going on this time of year, we want to make sure they're right for (the) playoffs and last handful of games of the season. So yeah, we're going to keep him out for a little bit.”
The 27-year-old and two-time Norris Trophy winner Makar sustained the injury during the Avalanche's 9-2 demolition of the Calgary Flames at Ball Arena in Denver. He had three assists in that contest before sitting out the third period.
The Avalanche can certainly afford to keep Makar on the shelf, as they have already clinched a spot in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Moreover, their 108 points heading into Wednesday night's matchup against the lowly Vancouver Canucks at home is eight points more than any team in the Central Division standings in the Western Conference.
However, Makar will not be able to add to his points total amid an intriguing race for the Norris Trophy.
So far in the 2025-26 NHL season, Makar is third among all defenseman in the league with 75 points, with Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets are in front of him with 86 and 78 points, respectively.
