Colorado dealt huge blow with major playoff implications
Cale Makar missed the morning skate, and Jared Bednar now has a real Avalanche concern before Game 3.
That is the story coming out of Colorado's pregame ice. Makar was not out there with the group, and when the best defenseman on the roster is absent this close to puck drop, people notice.
The timing is what makes it heavy. This is not a random maintenance day in January. It is Game 3 of a second-round series against Minnesota, with every shift carrying more weight.
There is some context that keeps this from turning into panic right away. Makar also skipped the morning skate before Game 2, so Colorado has already shown it is willing to manage his workload this way.
Still, the concern is easy to understand. Makar has taken some hard contact in this series, and one moment from Game 1 still hangs over the whole situation.
Marcus Foligno caught him with a heavy hit in that opener. Makar left the game for a stretch before coming back, and even with the return, it was obvious he had taken a real jolt.
That is why this morning matters. Missing a skate does not prove he is out, but it does keep the injury angle alive heading into one of the biggest games of Colorado's spring.
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Major Colorado absence could change the playoff landscape
Bednar's media availability now becomes the next key stop in the story. Until he speaks, Colorado is sitting in that familiar playoff gray area where everyone is reading the ice sheet and trying to judge what it means.
If Makar is limited, it changes everything for the Avalanche. He is not just another defenseman on the blue line. He drives breakouts, controls the pace, and changes how clean Colorado looks with the puck.
That matters even more in a series like this one. Minnesota plays a heavy game, closes space fast, and makes every defenseman work through traffic and pressure.
From the Wild side, any sign that Makar is not fully right is a huge development. You do not get many openings against Colorado, and a diminished Makar would be one of the biggest ones available.
For the Avalanche, the hope is simple. This is just another recovery play before a night where Makar still suits up and handles his usual role.
But until that gets confirmed, this is one of the top stories around Game 3. Cale Makar missing the morning skate is not something Colorado can brush aside, especially after the hit he already absorbed earlier in the series.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 8, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Mitch Marner | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
| Alex Newhook | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Brett Howden | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Shea Theodore | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Zach Benson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Alexandre Carrier | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Chris Kreider | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Michael Matheson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brayden McNabb | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Beckett Sennecke | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Nick Suzuki | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Josh Anderson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ivan Barbashev | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Leo Carlsson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Phillip Danault | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Doan | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Noah Dobson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Pavel Dorofeyev | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jack Eichel | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jake Evans | - | 1 | 1 | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||