Avs' Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon Suffer Lower-Body Injuries
Talk about an absolute nightmare scenario for the Colorado Avalanche, as both Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar left Thursday night's contest against the Ottawa Senators with lower-body injuries.
The Avalanche announced during the second intermission that both Makar and MacKinnon would not be returning to action against the Sens. For Makar, the injury appeared to be on a non-contact play, which can be a much worse scenario for severity. Makar had to leave the game for a little bit, many thought he was just cramping, and then it was obvious he was in too much pain to continue.
MacKinnon on the other hand, exited the game after he took a crosscheck to just above his pants, and underneath his shoulder pads. Perhaps a broken rib, or a contusion that he just couldn't play through, but the play happened on this Artem Zub crosscheck.
Nathan MacKinnon left the game in the 2nd period and will not return after this play with Artem Zub 🤕 https://t.co/LibNhEwGZf
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) November 13, 2026
The Avalanche would go on to lose the game 4-3, but the story of course is how long both players are going to be out of the lineup. It's one thing to be missing one superstar, but this is not an ideal situation if both Makar and MacKinnon are out long term.
The Avs sit 11-6-3 on the season, good for third in the Pacific Division, and are 6-2-2 in the past 10 games. MacKinnon has posted 30 points in his first 19 games this season, while Makar has recorded 23 points in 18 games. Production that is hard to replace, and Colorado's depth will be tested in a major way moving forward.