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Colorado Avalanche worst nightmare comes true as MacKinnon, Makar out long term

The Colorado Avalanche's worst-case scenario came true with the long-term losses of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.
ByNestor Quixtan
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Apr 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) is greeted by defenseman Cale Makar (8) after scoring during the first period in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images
Apr 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) is greeted by defenseman Cale Makar (8) after scoring during the first period in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Colorado Avalanche’s worst nightmare came true on Saturday. Superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar will be out for varying periods of time, head coach Jared Bednar confirmed.

As insider Elliotte Friedman initially reported, Nathan MacKinnon will miss about a month, while Cale Makar will be out roughly two weeks.

The news is a devastating blow to the Avalanche as a Stanley Cup contender. The team will be without its top scorer and all-world center. MacKinnon currently leads the club in scoring with 30 points in 20 games.

As speculated earlier, MacKinnon could be dealing with a significant hip injury, likely causing deep bruising. While that extent has not been confirmed, the nature of the hit on Thursday night likely led to that situation.

It’s also worth keeping in mind that MacKinnon might have been dealing with an injury issue, and Thursday night’s incident only served to aggravate the situation.

Avalanche will sorely miss Makar on the blue line

The prognosis for Cale Makar is two weeks. Now, that’s something that should be taken with a grain of salt since he’s been dealing with a lower-body issue since the summer. As such, there’s no real telling how complicated the issue is.

The speculation is that Makar is dealing with a groin issue. And if that’s the case, Makar may need more than two weeks to fully overcome the issue. Groin injuries can be very tricky and typically end up requiring more time than anticipated to fully regain health.

Avalanche depth will need to step up

Meanwhile, the Avalanche’s depth will need to step up.

In the forward group, Nazem Kadri and Brock Nelson will move up the totem pole. Kadri will likely take over the top line, while Nelson should return to his usual second-line role.

Additionally, Gavin Brindley should take MacKinnon’s open spot in the lineup. The Avs recalled Brindley on Friday, a necessary move to round out the forward lines.

Meanwhile, Sam Malinski should jump into Makar’s spot on the top pair. Last season, Bednar rolled with Malinski and Devon Toews on the top pair. That’s a match that will likely happen moving forward.

Also, Alex Gagne, who was recalled earlier this week, should make his NHL debut on Saturday night in Montreal.

All told, the Avalanche’s depth will get a real test. If there is a silver lining to this entire situation, it’s that the Avs are so deep that the team shouldn’t completely fall apart.

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