The last thing the Colorado Avalanche need right now is to lose a key piece from their lineup. Well, losing anyone is bad enough. But losing Cale Makar would be devastating.
Makar left Monday night’s 9-2 win against the Calgary Flames late in the second period after taking a hit from Adam Klapka. Klapka, the mountain of a man that he is, pounded Makar up against the glass, leaving him banged up.
Initially, Makar stayed in the game. He managed to pick up an assist, but didn’t return.
The hope is that it was just a precautionary measure. I, for one, would prefer to err on the side of caution than to allow Makar to stay out there and aggravate the injury.
That said, the entire Avalanche collective is holding its breath. What could a potential long-term injury for Makar mean? A renowned medical expert, Dr. Harjas Grewal, pointed out that Makar’s injury could be a separated shoulder.
Not great video. Possible separated shoulder for Makar
— Dr. Harjas Grewal (@Harjas_Grewal) March 31, 2026
Time off depends on type. Can be as short as day-to-day and can be as bad as needing surgery. NHLers often miss a couple weeks
Of note, you can play with taping/support + injections (what McAvoy tried at 4Nations) https://t.co/ZRHgwu8jUG
Grewal’s prognosis ranges from a day-to-day issue to a surgery. Judging from Makar’s reaction, there’s a good chance the injury, if any at all, could be of the day-to-day persuasion. It wouldn’t matter if the Avalanche shut down Makar for the remainder of the regular season.
Hopefully, some rest and painkillers will help. Unfortunately, the last thing the Avalanche need right now is losing Makar. While Grewal outlined a way that Makar could play while injured, that would hardly be an ideal solution.
So, for the sake of Avalanche fans’ blood pressure, let’s hope that Makar is fine. Let’s just hope that it’s all a matter of being banged up and sore. That’s much better than a devastating injury requiring surgery and a prolonged rehab stint.
We’ll know more on Tuesday. Until then, Avalanche fans will be on edge, fearing the worst. If the worst does come to pass, the club is deep enough to pick up the slack.
Wouldn’t it be best if this were nothing more than an injury scare? We’ll know soon enough.