Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar not playing Saturday due to lower-body injury

A big piece is going to be out of the lineup for the Colorado Avalanche.

On Saturday night, the Avs announced that superstar defenseman Cale Makar is not going to play against the Winnipeg Jets due to a lower-body injury.

The announcement came less than 30 minutes before puck drop in the heart of Manitoba.

It has yet to be disclosed when and where Makar was injured, but the 2022 Norris Trophy winner was expected to play earlier in the day.

Makar has a had a series of lower-body injuries in his short, five-year career. He already missed two games earlier this month, and had a pair of setbacks near the end of the 2022-23 regular season.

Unfortunately, Makar has earned the title as injury-prone. Though he missed just five games during his incredible 2021-22 campaign, the former Hobey Baker Award winner missed 12 games last season due to either a lower-body issue or a concussion. Makar also missed a good chunk of the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season with an upper-body injury.

With one of the big assets of Makar’s game being his speed, racking up injuries below the waist is certainly a cause for concern. We will give you more information on Makar’s injury once it becomes available.

Through 27 games this year, Makar is tied with Mikko Rantanen for second on the Avalanche with 37 points, tied for the team lead with Nathan MacKinnon in assists (29). He is currently second to Vancouver Canucks blueliner, Quinn Hughes (39), for most points by a defenseman.

Thankfully, if Makar has to miss an extended period of time, Colorado has a relatively easy upcoming schedule. After their matchup with the Jets, they host the San Jose Sharks on Sunday, before taking on the Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators next Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.

The Avs (18-9-2) are currently atop the Central Division, just one point ahead of the Dallas Stars. They are seven points back of the Vegas Golden Knights for the best record in the Western Conference.