The Colorado Avalanche have lost superstar forward Nathan MacKinnon for a month, confirmed head coach Jared Bednar on Saturday. It’s terrible news for the Avalanche, who also noted that defenseman Cale Makar will be out a couple of weeks.
Both players exited Thursday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators with lower-body injuries.
MacKinnon and Makar both went down in the same game. The captain’s injury occurred less than a minute after the blueliner’s. MacKinnon took a cross-check from Ottawa defenseman Artem Zub while trying to protect the puck in the offensive zone. He was clearly in pain, grasping his right hip before heading to the locker room. He did not return.
MacKinnon anchors Colorado’s top line and drives much of its offense, so his absence will test the Avalanche’s forward depth. Colorado has several centers who can move up the lineup, but replacing MacKinnon’s production and ice time won’t be simple.
Makar, a Norris Trophy-caliber defenseman, is also a huge loss for a team that hasn’t been playing its best hockey lately.
How the Avs navigate this stretch could shape their standing in a competitive conference, with the team hoping to stay in the race until their franchise player returns.
This Stings for the Avalanche
This is 53 combined points out of the lineup with one announcement. MacKinnon leads Colorado with 30 points, and Makar has 23 in 19 games. The Avalanche are 11-6-3 and third in the Central Division.
Both the Nashville Predators and Minnesota Wild are ahead of them in the standings. Colorado needed to gain ground, not lose it. Without their two best players, many believe a significant drop down the standings could mean the season.
Injury Issues Continue to Plague Makar
Less than a week ago, Makar left practice early for what the team called precautionary reasons. He returned to play, only to go down again on Thursday.
Around the time he signed his record-setting eight-year, $163.2 million contract, Makar was dealing with a lower-body issue that seemed similar. This adds another layer of concern to his latest injury scare. The hope is that this won’t become a nagging issue.
More to come…
Avalanche Offer Injury Update on Nathan MacKinnon: It’s Not Good News