Cale Makar’s unusual skating schedule has raised some questions about the Avalanche star’s health less than four weeks before the regular season.
There is some concern that Cale Makar might still be dealing with some form of an injury.
According to Brennan Vogt of Hockey Mountain High, the two-time Norris Trophy winner took the ice Wednesday morning and skated for roughly 30 minutes with Avalanche skills coach Mark Popovic. When the main group arrived, Makar did not participate for the remainder of the session and did not skate Thursday.
Vogt did bring up a good point. When a skater works alone and doesn't participate with the next group, it can paint the picture that this was some sort of rehabilitation skate. Another thing worth noting: Makar was not wearing a red non-contact jersey, although that is hardly definitive.
For example, Vogt and I, when we were both writing primarily for Mile High Hockey, reported on goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood not exactly looking like himself during some of the early optional skates last season. He was not wearing a red non-contact jersey at the time, and we later learned that he had undergone offseason surgery to repair a lower-body injury. Blackwood subsequently appeared at future skates in a red non-contact jersey and began taking shots again in early October.
At the same time, we don't want to speculate.
We know Makar was training earlier in the offseason with Nathan MacKinnon up in Canada, and it's been less than a week since he signed a record eight-year, $163.2 million extension carrying a $20.4 million AAV that goes into effect at the beginning of the 2027-28 season.
Since putting pen to paper, Makar has also been busy with media availabilities, including a press conference at the Inverness Denver Resort. So perhaps Makar simply wants to ease his way back into full training before hitting the gas.
Or maybe there is a slight problem.
Either way, the regular season starts in just under four weeks, making Makar's next appearance on the ice something worth monitoring.
