The Colorado Avalanche will be without their star defenseman Cale Makar for Wednesday evening’s opening game of the Western Conference Final against Vegas due to an upper-body injury.
Head coach Jared Bednar made the announcement following the team’s morning practice, describing the elite defenseman’s status as “day to day.”
“I think he’s doing a lot better,” Bednar said. “He’s on the ice again this morning, feeling pretty good.”
The injury occurred when Makar sustained a collision during the final moments of Game 5 against Minnesota last Wednesday, causing him to leave the ice while clutching his right arm. Despite the injury, he managed to return to action as Colorado secured an overtime victory. Earlier in that series, Makar had also temporarily exited Game 1 after being checked into the boards, which sent his right leg airborne before he crashed to the ice.
This setback represents a significant challenge for the Avalanche, who have compiled an impressive 8-1 record throughout this postseason. The upcoming game marks Makar’s first playoff absence due to injury, though he previously sat out one game in 2023 during the Seattle series due to a suspension for interference.
The Norris Trophy candidate has contributed four goals and one assist while logging nearly 25 minutes per game during the first two playoff rounds. His role extends beyond regular play, as he serves as a crucial component of Colorado’s power play and penalty kill units.
“Best defenseman in the world,” Avalanche forward Logan O’Connor said. “He’s not going to be easily replaced. There’s not one guy that’s going to be able to do it. I think the advantage we have with the group we have in the game tonight is a lot of guys can be minute-munchers for us.
“Cale presents a dynamic ability that is super-unique in the league. No one’s going to replicate that tonight, but it’s on the D-core as a whole, and our group as a whole, to try and pick it up when we can.”
Bednar confirmed that defenseman Jack Ahcan will enter the starting lineup as Makar’s replacement. Ahcan appeared in his first Stanley Cup playoff game during Game 4 against Minnesota and saw limited action in Game 5. This season, he also participated in four Calder Cup playoff contests with the Colorado Eagles in the American Hockey League.
The team expects forward Artturi Lehkonen to return to action after missing the final two games against Minnesota with his own upper-body injury.
“He touches every aspect of our game, five-on-five, power play, penalty kill,” Bednar said. “He’s a big-time playoff performer, a great two-way player, so just helps us slot all of our lines where we need them in order to play a team like Vegas.”
