The Colorado Avalanche will be without their standout defenseman Cale Makar for Friday’s Game 2 showdown against the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference finals.
Makar, dealing with an upper-body injury, was also sidelined during Colorado’s 4-2 defeat in the series opener on Wednesday. Despite participating in Friday morning’s optional practice session and working with the top power-play group, he remains unavailable for game action.
In the first game, Jack Ahcan saw 7 minutes and 34 seconds of action, finishing with a minus-1 rating. Defenseman Nick Blankenberg was held out as a healthy scratch, though coach Jared Bednar hasn’t revealed which defender will take the ice Friday night.
The Avalanche, who claimed the Presidents’ Trophy during the regular season, eliminated the Los Angeles Kings with a four-game sweep before defeating the Minnesota Wild in five contests. Throughout those nine playoff games, Makar contributed four goals and one assist while logging nearly 25 minutes per game.
During the Minnesota series, Makar left both the first and fifth games after taking heavy hits, though he managed to return in both instances.
The 27-year-old defender claimed the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman in both 2021-22 and 2024-25, and remains a candidate for this year’s award.
Four years ago, Makar earned the Conn Smythe Trophy when Colorado claimed the Stanley Cup championship.
Throughout his seven-year career with the Avalanche, Makar has accumulated 507 points on 136 goals and 371 assists across 470 games. This past regular season, he recorded 20 goals and 59 assists in 75 appearances during the 2025-26 campaign.
