Overview
- Both Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar suffered lower‑body injuries in the second period of the Ottawa game on Thursday, November 12, and left that contest without returning.
- Head coach Jared Bednar confirmed on Saturday that MacKinnon will be out at least about one month and Makar is expected to miss roughly two weeks.
- Colorado has already made roster changes, recalling forward Gavin Brindley from the Colorado Eagles and inserting rookie defenseman Alex Gagne, who made his NHL debut and logged nearly 12 minutes.
- The Avalanche responded on the ice the same weekend with a 4-1 road win in Montreal, showing short‑term resilience while secondary players took on larger roles.
- MacKinnon (30 points in 20 games) and Makar (23 points in 19 games) are central to Colorado’s 5-on-5 offense and power play, so their absences will test depth, could prompt roster moves before the trade deadline, and carry tentative analyst projections that both could return before Christmas.