One of the major offseason storylines in the NHL is the fallout of the Cale Makar injury. This season, the two-time Norris Trophy winner sustained a major upper-body injury, keeping him out of the lineup down the stretch and in the postseason.
As had already been speculated here on Heavy, the Cale Makar injury looked like a separated shoulder. That situation could keep the Colorado Avalanche blueliner off the ice for some time to begin next season.
In Wednesday’s edition of the 32 Thought Podcast, insider Elliotte Friedman discussed what he had heard about the timeline surrounding Makar’s return to the ice. While there is no word regarding what the injury actually is, or if surgery will be necessary, the estimated timeline at this point is that Makar could miss some time at the start of the 2026-27 season.
If that’s the case, it would be a good outcome for the Avalanche. In the worst of cases, the Cale Makar injury could have been a broken collarbone. The hit he took from Calgary Flames giant Adam Klapka on March 30 was enough to knock Makar out of the lineup for about two weeks.
Makar returned late in the regular season, but reaggravated the injury in Game 5 against the Minnesota Wild. That situation caused the 27-year-old to miss Games 1 and 2 against the Vegas Golden Knights.
While Friedman clarified that he never stated that Makar would be out for the season, he did double down on the fact that the Avalanche star could miss significant time.
Avalanche Must Tread Lightly with Cale Makar Injury
At this point, there really isn’t much the Colorado Avalanche can do about this Cale Makar injury. The only thing they can hope for is that it’s not quite as bad as it could have been.
That said, the organization needs to tread lightly. It can’t afford to rush Makar back by any means. Getting him back into the lineup during the playoffs was one thing. But at this point, the right thing would be to allow the Norris Trophy nominee to get the rest and treatment he needs to heal.
Since next season won’t have the compressed schedule that this season had, the Avalanche don’t stand to miss Makar for that many games.
Even if the Cale Makar injury stretches into November, the Avalanche will be fine. They will have an opportunity to get their best defenseman back for the most critical portions of the season.
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Fans Must Have Patience with Information on Makar
One of the things that has seemingly distressed fans has been the lack of clarity on the Cale Makar injury. With the entire whirlwind surrounding the front-office changes in Colorado, it’s understandable that not much information has become public.
That’s something that could change in the coming days and weeks. With Joe Sakic officially back in the GM role, the organization could now move forward with its end-of-year presser. The topic of the Cale Makar injury will surely come up, providing the club with an opportunity to put fans’ minds at ease.
In the meantime, speculation will continue to run rampant as more information becomes available.
Cale Makar Injury Timeline Suggested by Insider