After a 9-2 victory over the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche fans held their breath awaiting an injury update on star defenseman Cale Makar.
Per an injury report from NHL.com, “The defenseman had three assists in the win, including the primary assist on Nathan MacKinnon’s power-play goal with 35 seconds left in the second period on what was his final shift of the game. Two shifts earlier, Makar was hit by Flames forward Adam Klapka with 5:28 left in the second period. Makar did not take any shifts in the third period.”
Avalanche head coach Jared Bedhar confirmed Makar’s upper-body injury in a postgame press conference, but offered no details of a timeline.
Not great video. Possible separated shoulder for Makar
Time off depends on type. Can be as short as day-to-day and can be as bad as needing surgery. NHLers often miss a couple weeks
Of note, you can play with taping/support + injections (what McAvoy tried at 4Nations) https://t.co/ZRHgwu8jUG
— Dr. Harjas Grewal (@Harjas_Grewal) March 31, 2026
Medical expert, Dr. Harjas Grewal shared his insight on the extent of Makar’s injury, stating it is a possible separated shoulder.
However, Avalanche fans have been given a glimmer of hope from The Athletic’s NHL insider Pierre LeBrun.
Makar will likely miss the remaining six games of the Avalanche’s regular season to prepare for the playoffs beginning April 18.
Getty
Getty
Fans are dreading the Avalanche without Cale Makar for the remaining of the regular season. He is a top defenseman in the NHL, with an offensive upside. Makar entered the game against the Flames on Monday with 20 goals and 72 points in 71 games.
On March 28, Makar became the fourth-fastest NHL defenseman to record 500 points.
He entered the 2025-26 season with back-to-back 90+ point seasons, and delivered a 30-goal season in 2024-25. Makar also reached his third consecutive 20-goal season in 2026, and fourth of his career.
Getty
Getty
As March 31, the Colorado Avalanche sits alone with the best record (73-49-14) in the NHL. Eight points higher than the Dallas Stars in second.
As the Stanley Cup playoffs loom, the Colorado Avalanche are enroute to securing the Presidents’ Trophy.
CBS Sports NHL analyst Scott Erskine has the Avalanche ranked first in NHL’s Week 23 power rankings. Erskine highlights the Avalanche’s elite offensive performances:
“After scoring a total of five goals in the home-and-home series against Winnipeg, the Avalanche tied their season high with nine versus Calgary. Acquired from the Flames at the trade deadline, Nazem Kadri tallied twice against his former team, while four different players recorded a goal and two assists. One of them was Nathan MacKinnon, who collected five points in Week 23 and is four behind Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid (124) in the race for the Art Ross Trophy. The 2024 Hart Trophy winner, MacKinnon hasn’t gone more than two consecutive games without a point this season, and he’s done that only twice.”
Like Heavy Sports?
Go here and check the box
next to Heavy Sports
McKenna Van Gundy McKenna Van Gundy is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com. She spent two years as a sports contributor for her University’s newspaper, covering games and writing feature stories on players and coaches. She currently works for the NFL as a digital programming associate and lives in the greater Los Angeles area. More about McKenna Van Gundy
Stay Connected
