The Avalanche had a rough second period in Ottawa, and it got worse fast.
Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar both left Thursday’s game against the Senators after sustaining injuries, leaving Colorado without two of its biggest names before the night was over.
Makar’s issue came first. The play itself looked fairly routine, with no contact involved.
In the offensive zone, he went down the boards to get the puck from Kadri, stopped hard, and appeared to tweak something. Later replays showed him hunched over while play was dead.
He was already dealing with an injury after leaving practice a couple of days ago.
Then MacKinnon was hurt before the second period ended. During a scuffle with Artum Zub, replays showed Zub shoving MacKinnon around the waist and seemingly hitting some sort of nerve that sent MacKinnon down.
The Avs are without Nathan MacKinnonand Cale Makar in the third.#NHL pic.twitter.com/8GWoSsiM1Q
MacKinnon went back to the bench after the play and did take one more shift, but after that he returned to the bench and later headed down the tunnel for the rest of the period. That turned into him being out for the rest of the game.
How serious either injury is remains to be seen, but the timing could hardly be worse for Colorado. The Avalanche are in the middle of a road trip and still have games left against the Montreal Canadiens and the Utah Mammoth. Montreal is hot, and Utah is a major divisional matchup.
Colorado is already shorthanded on the back end with Josh Manson out as well, and the team now appears likely to turn to Noah Juulsen and Alex Gagne. Another call-up is also expected to help round out the roster.
In Other News...
Avalanche Suddenly Face A Brutal Question About MacKinnon And Makar
The Avalanches night against Ottawa took a sharp turn when Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar both exited with lower-body injuries, leaving Colorado to absorb a hit to two of its most important players at once. MacKinnon was hurt while trying to check Artem Zub and eventually had to leave the bench, while Makar went out earlier, briefly came back for one shift and was then ruled out.
For a team that leans so heavily on both stars, the timing makes the concern obvious. Colorado can usually survive a rough stretch because MacKinnon drives the attack and Makar anchors the back end, but losing either one changes the look of the lineup fast. Losing both in the same game raises an even bigger question about how the Avalanche handle the next stretch if the injuries linger. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Suddenly Face A Real Test Without Nathan MacKinnon
Nathan MacKinnons lower-body injury has put the Avalanche in an uncomfortable spot at a time when they were already leaning heavily on their top center to drive the offense. He left the game in the second period and did not return, and Colorado moved quickly to bring up Gavin Brindley from the AHLs Colorado Eagles as a short-term answer. Brindley has already been shuttled up and down multiple times this season, so this is not unfamiliar territory for him.
What changes now is the burden on everyone else. MacKinnons absence strips away the teams most reliable source of pace and production, and Brindley is being asked to help fill some of that gap with offense of his own. For a club that has built so much of its identity around MacKinnon setting the tone, the immediate question is how long Colorado can keep its game intact while waiting for more clarity on his status. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Prospect Is Making His Case In A Different Role
Gavin Brindley has already gotten a taste of both levels in the Avalanche organization, and the experience has given him a clearer sense of what it takes to stick. After spending time in both the NHL and AHL, including 56 games with Colorado during the 2025-26 season, Brindley has been open about the different demands each league places on a player, from pace and precision to the little details that separate a prospect from a regular.
What stands out now is the way Brindley is using that time to broaden his role, not just his game. He has talked about development, leadership, and the value of helping younger teammates in the AHL, all while drawing on the lessons he picked up from playing alongside notable players in international competition. For Colorado, that kind of maturity matters almost as much as production, and Brindley seems intent on proving he can be more than just another name in the pipeline. [Read more 🡒]