MacKinnon and Makar exits leave Avalanche with two big unknowns

Both injuries carry the broad lower-body designation. Head coach Jared Bednar had no immediate postgame update on their severity, and there is no public diagnosis or recovery timetable for either player. Both were set to travel with the team to Montreal. That is a travel plan, not confirmation that either will play.⁠26

The numbers show the scale of the uncertainty. MacKinnon leads Colorado and ranks fifth in the NHL in points; Makar ranks third on the team and third among NHL defensemen. Colorado did not simply finish a game two players short. It finished without two of its most productive players, with another game approaching and no established return date for either.⁠26

The injuries occurred during Colorado’s November 12 game at Canadian Tire Centre, but they were separate exits—not an established single incident involving both players. The shift details offer a clearer account than the initial description that both were hurt late in the second period.⁠1⁠26

MacKinnon’s final shift ended with 8:15 remaining in the period. He grabbed his right side during an encounter with Ottawa defenseman Artem Zub, stayed on the bench for several minutes and then headed down the tunnel. He finished with 11:33 of ice time and a minus-one rating.⁠1⁠26

The contact itself is described differently in the reporting. Sportsnet’s November 12 account described a Zub cross-check around MacKinnon’s hip; NHL.com’s November 13 report described MacKinnon attempting a reverse hit on Zub. Those accounts should not be flattened into one certain explanation. Grabbing his right side was an observable reaction, not a diagnosis of the injury.⁠1⁠26

Makar’s departure included an attempted return. He took a four-second shift at 10:44 of the second period before going to the dressing room. He later returned for a 23-second shift that ended with 5:20 remaining, then stayed on the bench for the rest of the period. His night ended after 13:57 of ice time, with two shots and a minus-one rating.⁠26⁠18

Makar had also left practice early on Sunday, November 8, as a precaution. That is relevant background, but no confirmed connection links the practice departure to Thursday’s injury. Nor does a brief return to the ice establish that an injury is minor: the available reporting gives a sequence of events, not a medical explanation.⁠26

Makar’s status matters beyond his scoring total. Josh Manson was already on long-term injured reserve, having been placed there Monday, November 9, and Colorado had recalled Alex Gagne from the Colorado Eagles. If Makar cannot play in Montreal, Gagne could make his NHL debut. That remains a possibility, not an announced lineup decision.⁠34⁠18

One missing defenseman already requires an adjustment; another would push Colorado further into its depth. But the roster problem and the medical question must remain separate. Manson’s absence does not tell us how serious Makar’s injury is, just as the lower-body label does not tell us how long MacKinnon might be out.

Captain Gabriel Landeskog acknowledged the quality Colorado had lost, calling MacKinnon and Makar “two of the best players in the world.” His instruction for the players still available was less complicated than the uncertainty surrounding their teammates.⁠26

Colorado did take Ottawa to overtime. Artturi Lehkonen, Parker Kelly and Landeskog scored for the Avalanche, with Nazem Kadri, T.J. Hughes, Brock Nelson and Devon Toews recording assists. The Senators ultimately won 4-3, leaving Colorado at 11-6-3 and third in the Central Division. The defeat followed the injuries; that alone does not establish that the injuries caused it.⁠25⁠26

The immediate decision comes Saturday, November 14, against the Canadiens. Colorado then concludes its four-game road trip at Utah on Wednesday, November 18. For now, the firm boundary is Thursday’s game: both stars were ruled out for its remainder. Neither has been confirmed out for Montreal, and neither has been confirmed ready to return. That distinction matters more than any guess about what the Avalanche might have to replace.⁠26