The Avalanche Can't Afford to Gamble With Cale Makar's Health

DENVER — Cale Makar is too important to the Colorado Avalanche to take unnecessary risks with his health.

That might sound obvious, but after the superstar defenseman left Sunday’s practice early with a trainer, the question isn’t simply whether he can play on this upcoming road trip. It’s whether he should.

Makar reportedly exited practice for precautionary reasons, with head coach Jared Bednar offering little in the way of an update beyond saying the team would see how he felt the following day. While the fact that Makar is traveling with the team to Toronto is encouraging, it shouldn’t automatically mean he’s ready to play.

Colorado has already seen how quickly trying to play through an injury can backfire.

Nicolas Roy is a recent example worth remembering. Roy suffered a lower-body injury during morning skate ahead of Colorado’s October 13 road game against the Dallas Stars. He needed assistance getting off the ice, but rather than sitting out, he attempted to play through it. Roy even recorded an assist in the Avalanche’s 3-2 victory at American Airlines Center.

The problem? Instead of missing a game or two to recover, Roy ended up missing six.

That’s precisely the kind of situation Colorado needs to avoid with Makar.

The 27-year-old defenseman took an awkward tumble during Saturday’s 4-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Although he managed to return and put together a spectacular three-point performance, recording a goal and two assists on the power play, there were moments when he appeared to be uncomfortable.

Then came Sunday’s early exit from practice.

None of this necessarily means Makar is dealing with a serious injury. But it’s enough to warrant some caution. If something doesn’t feel right, why gamble?

The Avalanche are heading into a four-game road trip, and there is no reason to force Makar into the lineup simply because he’s one of the team’s most important players. In fact, that’s exactly why they should be willing to give him a night or two off if necessary.

What’s the worst-case scenario if Colorado exercises some patience? Makar misses a couple of games, gets additional time to recover, and returns when he’s ready.

What’s the alternative? The Avalanche push him back onto the ice, whatever he’s dealing with gets worse, and suddenly they’re looking at a much longer absence.

Do we really want to risk Makar missing 10 or more games down the road when a little patience now could potentially prevent that outcome?

It’s still early in the season. There is plenty of hockey left to play, and Colorado needs its best players healthy when the games matter most. Makar isn’t someone the Avalanche can easily replace, either. His ability to dictate the pace of play, create offense from the blue line, and drive the power play makes him indispensable to everything this team wants to accomplish.

And with the massive contract expectations surrounding his future, the last thing anyone wants is to see Colorado jeopardize its franchise cornerstone over a handful of regular-season games.

Makar is a competitor. He’s going to want to play, and there’s little doubt the Avalanche would love to have him available. But sometimes the smartest decision isn’t putting your best player on the ice. It’s keeping him off it.

Let Makar get healthy. If that means sitting out a game or two in Toronto, so be it. The Avalanche need Cale Makar for the long haul, not just the next four games.

But if he’s ready to go, let ‘er rip.