Cale Makar is dealing with a lower-body injury that could keep the Avalanche superstar off the ice when training camp opens Thursday.
Colorado’s newly minted $20 million man is dealing with a lower-body injury, giving the Avalanche an unexpected concern just as training camp is set to begin.
Head coach Jared Bednar confirmed Wednesday morning at Ball Arena’s Michelob ULTRA Mountain House that Cale Makar has been managing a lower-body issue that surfaced over the past few weeks. Makar’s new eight-year, $163.2 million extension carries a league-record $20.4 million average annual value, although that contract does not begin until next season. He is still playing under his current $9 million AAV this season.
According to beat reporter Jesse Montano, the Avalanche are “playing it safe” with their star defenseman, and Makar is unlikely to take the ice Thursday when Colorado officially opens training camp.
The situation, however, does not appear to be cause for alarm.
Bednar explained that the injury “sort of popped up over the last few weeks” and that Makar has been working through it while remaining on the ice. The 27-year-old defenseman has simply been following a lighter program than most of his teammates heading into camp.
“He’s been on the ice,” Bednar told reporters. “He’s just on a little bit of a lighter program than probably most of our guys coming into main camp.”
That lighter workload is expected to continue into the opening of camp, with Bednar acknowledging that Makar likely will not be ready for Day 1.
“Day one in training camp is probably unlikely, just kind of playing it safe with him and our organization,” Bednar said. “But at some point in camp, he’ll be full go.”
Most importantly, Bednar made clear that the Avalanche are not currently concerned about the injury and said it is unrelated to the issue Makar dealt with during last season’s playoffs.
“I don’t think it’s anything to be worried about at this point,” Bednar said. “It’s not related to the injury he had last year in the playoffs. Just something that just popped up here with training.”
The fact that Makar has continued skating provides another measure of optimism. Colorado has no reason to rush its franchise defenseman back onto the ice in September, particularly with the regular season still weeks away.
There had already been subtle signs that something might be bothering Makar.
Hockey Mountain High’s Brennan Vogt was among the first to notice that Makar had been working with a skills coach rather than skating alongside the rest of the Avalanche during some of the team’s optional sessions earlier this offseason. On its own, that is hardly definitive evidence of an injury, but it was an indication that Makar’s offseason routine was not entirely normal.
The Hockey News also noted while reviewing MHH’s footage that Makar did not appear to have his usual explosiveness during those skates, another potentially telling detail given the nature of the issue now confirmed by Bednar.
Still, there is an important distinction between Makar missing the opening of training camp and Makar being in danger of missing meaningful games.
He has been skating, which is a significant positive. Had Makar been unable to get on the ice at all, the concern surrounding the situation would be considerably different. Instead, Colorado has time to manage the injury, allow its star defenseman to recover and gradually work him back into the group.
The Avalanche have training camp and four preseason games before the regular season begins, giving Makar a considerable runway to get back to full strength.
If he is still dealing with the injury once those opportunities begin to disappear, the conversation becomes considerably more serious.
For now, though, Colorado appears to be taking the cautious approach with its most valuable defenseman. Makar is not yet making $20.4 million this season, but the timing of this injury is certainly notable as the Avalanche prepare to enter the final season before their superstar’s historic extension takes effect.
