The Colorado Avalanche are now in offseason mode as they lost the Stanley Cup playoffs Western Conference Final series against the Vegas Golden Knights. Players who are no longer in the postseason will get a chance to start their recovery from issues that had been problematic for them throughout the year, whether recent or from the regular season.
That includes Avalanche star defenseman Cale Makar, who had been injured in a second-round game against the Minnesota Wild. Many speculate that it’s a pretty severe shoulder injury, and further speculation by NHL insider Elliotte Friedman doesn’t make Avs fans less concerned going forward.
"I have some theories, too. I think (Cale) Makar has a pretty significant shoulder injury. And I think some people have wondered if he might miss the start of next season because of it."Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts
That is a devastating update, to say the least. It also goes to show that Makar was truly battling through some pain and discomfort throughout the Stanley Cup Final series against the Golden Knights. It also puts a little bit of gas on a fire that was started by head coach Jared Bednar when he said it’s up to Makar when he wants to get back.
A lot of Avalanche fans took that as a dig against Makar, throwing him under the bus and putting a lot of pressure on the defenseman, but the truth is that Makar was the only one that was able to say whether or not he’s alright to play. I am not against the idea of having him sit out if he isn’t comfortable enough to play. That just wouldn’t be smart.
In the end, however, even Makar’s presence was not enough to even snag one game from the Golden Knights. That’s the way it goes sometimes, and the sweep has caused many conversations about the Avalanche’s future.
Either way, hopefully Friedman’s guess is wrong, but Makar’s status for the beginning of the 2026-27 season will be an interesting story to monitor over the next little while.
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