The collective Colorado Avalanche fanbase has been holding its breath after Cale Makar exited Tuesday night’s game against the Calgary Flames.
Initially, the fear was that Makar could have sustained a major injury like a separated shoulder. But it seems like the Avalanche may have dodged a major bullet. According to insider Pierre LeBrun, Makar’s injury is not believed to be serious.
On Cale Makar, don’t believe it’s too serious but he will likely miss a few games in order to get him to 100 percent before the playoffs.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 31, 2026
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan also confirmed that Makar’s injury isn’t believed to be a major issue.
Two injury scares in the West last night, Cutter Gauthier and Cale Makar, but neither appears too serious.
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) March 31, 2026
Gauthier won’t travel to San Jose but Ducks hopeful he returns this weekend. Makar timeline still TBD but not believed to be long term.
That is a huge sigh of relief, at least for now. While the club hasn’t confirmed any information, the news of Makar not being seriously hurt has to be a huge boost for the organization. After all, the possibility of the reigning Norris-Trophy winner needing surgery was something that would have sent Avalanche fans heading for the hills.
The hope is that the club will provide further information regarding the situation in the coming days.
Makar likely done for remainder of Avalanche regular season
While Makar and the Avalanche may have dodged a bullet, Colorado’s top defenseman could be done for the remainder of the regular season. The thought process here is that Makar, as LeBrun noted, will most likely not play in order to fully recover.
With the Avalanche firmly in first place overall, it wouldn’t be urgent to have Makar in the lineup. With nine games to go, there might still be a chance for Makar to see action before the season ends. Perhaps a couple of games ahead of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs may be in the cards as a tune-up.
Otherwise, it’s not likely the club will push getting Makar back on the ice. The risk of aggravating the injury would far outweigh the benefits of his play in the regular season.
The 27-year-old has had another fabulous season. In 73 games, he’s notched 20 goals and 55 assists for 75 points. He’s the frontrunner for the Norris Trophy this season, though it remains to be seen if this injury might affect his standing with voters.