Injured Avalanche stars MacKinnon, Makar to be shelved for weeks

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar confirmed Saturday that injuries suffered by two of the team's top players in their last game will keep them off the ice for weeks. 

Forward Nathan MacKinnon will be out for at least a month and defenseman Cale Makar for approximately two weeks. 

Both players were hurt during the second period of the squad's overtime loss in Ottawa on Thursday night. Both have lower-body injuries, according to the team. 

Makar appeared to be in discomfort during an awkward moment alone with the puck in the offensive zone more than halfway through the second frame. According to NHL.com, Makar did try to return in the second for a shift that lasted 23 seconds before exiting the game for good. 

Moments later, MacKinnon appeared to be hurt when he became tied up with Sens defenseman Artem Zub, who laid a couple crosschecks on him in the hip area. MacKinnon was grabbing his right side in pain and skated off to the bench, never returning to the ice. 

Makar is a two-time Norris Trophy winner as the NHL's top defenseman. He has five goals and 18 assists this season. MacKinnon, the league's Most Valuable Player in 2024, currently has 10 goals and 20 assists, and is the club's leading scorer. 

Colorado currently sits in third place in the Central Division and in fifth place in the Western Conference. Eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs.