Avalanche Lose MacKinnon and Makar to Lower-Body Injuries

The Colorado Avalanche lost Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar to lower-body injuries during Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators. Both left in the second period and were ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Colorado Confirms Two Injuries, Both Out for the Night

The Avalanche said forward Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar both left the game with lower-body injuries. Neither returned, and both had been ruled out by the start of the third period.

Pro Hockey Rumors called MacKinnon and Makar Colorado's top players and wrote that while losing either one for any length of time would hurt the Avalanche, losing both at the same time is an entirely different matter.

How It Unfolded Late in the Second Period

MacKinnon's final shift came with 8:15 left in the second period, when he tried a reverse hit on Senators defenseman Artem Zub and was shoved back as the two fought for the puck. He dropped to his knees clutching his right hip. He stayed on Colorado's bench for several minutes before limping down the tunnel to the locker room.

Makar left the ice favoring his right leg, returned briefly for a 23-second shift, then remained on the bench. His final shift ended with 5:20 left in the second period, and he was ruled out for the third.

Both injuries happened on plays with little contact, and both occurred in the offensive zone. Yahoo Sports wrote that Makar's injury looked to involve no contact at all.

The clock showed how short the night was: MacKinnon played 11:33 and had one shot on goal, Makar played 13:57, and both finished minus-1. Makar's exit came four days after he left Sunday's practice early as a precaution, and Thursday was only his second game since that departure.

What Colorado Is Missing on the Ice

MacKinnon leads the Avalanche in scoring and ranks fifth in the NHL with 30 points in 20 games, on 10 goals and 20 assists. He won the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 2023-24, is the reigning Rocket Richard winner and carries a +7 rating.

Makar ranks third on Colorado in scoring and third among NHL defensemen with 23 points, on five goals and 18 assists. He has won the Norris Trophy twice as the league's best defenseman, averages 22:54 of ice time per game and sits at +5.

Both players have had excellent starts, and that they are keeping up even if they are not matching the seasons of Connor McDavid or Evan Bouchard.

A Slower Start Than Last Season, and No Replacements

Colorado is 11-6-3 and third in the Central Division. The Avalanche remain firmly in the playoff picture, but their start falls short of last season's pace. Colorado had just one regulation loss through 19 games last year, compared with six this season. Last year's campaign ended with the Presidents' Trophy.

The Avalanche have built solid depth, but neither MacKinnon nor Makar can be easily replaced. A prolonged absence for either player could significantly hurt Colorado's chances. Both players were carrying injuries in last season's Western Conference final, when Colorado was swept by the Vegas Golden Knights, and Yahoo Sports wrote the injuries were among the reasons for that sweep.