Cale Makar and the Colorado Avalanche were eliminated in shocking fashion on Tuesday night, swept away by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals after cruising through the first two rounds of these playoffs.
Jared Bednar said it best postgame — Colorado ran into a Vegas team firing on all cylinders at the right time. While that was undoubtedly the case, injuries to superstars Makar and, eventually, Nathan MacKinnon also played a massive role in how the series unfolded.
Makar, of course, missed Games 1 and 2 before battling through the ailment in Games 3 and 4. He didn’t look quite like himself, and Elliotte Friedman revealed on Wednesday that he’s heard the injury is rather significant and could impact his status for the start of next season.
“Now, I think Makar, I think he’s got — I’ve heard his injury is pretty significant. And I know some people have been wondering, will he be ready for the start of next year? I guess we’ll find all that out, but I just don’t think that that’s the reason here. I think it’s more of an excuse than anything else,”
The 27-year-old Makar tallied five points (four goals, one assist) in 11 playoff games after racking up 79 points (20 goals, 59 assists) in just 75 regular-season games.
It was a rather harmless-looking collision with Mats Zuccarello in Game 5 of the second round against the Minnesota Wild, but it clearly left a mark on Makar, and his reaction showed that immediately.
He’ll now have a shorter summer to rest and rehab whatever the injury is, with the hope of getting back to full health in time for 2026-27 — a season that’s shaping up to be a pivotal one for an Avalanche team many feel has a shrinking Stanley Cup window.
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