Cale Makar won’t be in the lineup for Colorado’s prime-time ESPN game in Dallas, and the reason is as good as it gets. Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reported that Makar’s wife is due at “any moment” as she is expecting twins.
That leaves the Avalanche without their star defender for tonight, with Sam Malinski stepping onto the first pair alongside Devon Toews and Noah Juulsen sliding into the third-pair role. Juulsen, a former first-round pick by Montreal 11 years ago, has carved out a steady niche as a depth option and played 52 games for the Flyers last season.
Makar’s absence also pauses what has been another elite start. Through five games, the 28-year-old has seven points, and early numbers show 40% of his shifts starting in the defensive zone.
It’s still only 6% into the season, but if that usage sticks, it would mark new ground for a player who has already become one of the league’s premier all-around defensemen and a yearly Norris contender. Colorado could get him back as soon as tomorrow night when Dallas comes to Denver, and if not then, Friday at home against Pittsburgh looks like the next likely chance.
Around the league, the Rangers may have caught a break with Dylan Garand. Elliotte Friedman said on a recent episode of 32 Thoughts that Garand was apparently close to being claimed off waivers two weeks ago. That would have left New York thin after losing Igor Shesterkin for the season, a brutal blow after Shesterkin opened with a 1.79 goals-against average and even scored a goalie goal.
Instead, Garand is getting the chance in New York and making it count. The 24-year-old has won both of his starts, including a shutout against Detroit, after spending four straight years as the crease anchor in AHL Hartford and never quite sticking in the Rangers’ setup over the past four seasons, even with veteran backups around him, this time Joonas Korpisalo.
The question now is whether he can keep the team afloat without forcing a move for outside help. Ottawa and Winnipeg were mentioned as possible waiver-wire suitors, with Ottawa having lost Leevi Merilainen to the Canucks and Winnipeg claiming Clay Stevenson from Washington.
New Jersey was also dealing with a late change. Luke Evangelista missed the Devils’ game in Detroit because of illness after beginning to feel sick during last night’s loss to Ottawa, according to Manager of Content Amanda Stein. He stayed home to rest.
Evangelista, acquired from Nashville in September in a trade out of left field, has made a strong early impression in Newark. In five games, the 24-year-old has two goals and an assist, and his scoreless outing last time out was easy enough to explain given the illness and limited minutes.
Stefan Noesen moved into Evangelista’s spot on the third line. He cleared waivers last week, then was recalled yesterday after Connor Brown was placed on IR.
It’s a contract year for the 33-year-old, who fell out of favor after a tough 2025-26 season in which he scored three goals in 38 games. New general manager Sunny Mehta brought in several new forwards, pushing Noesen down the depth chart.
Even so, he still brings the same hard-nosed game: physicality, net-front chaos, and the kind of edge teams can use every night.
In Other News...
Rangers Bring Early Heat Back To MSG Against Tampa Bay
The Rangers are back at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday to face the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the building should again have the feel of a team that has started fast and fed off its home ice. New York is unbeaten in its four games at MSG so far, and the early numbers around the club have matched the eye test, with the Rangers sitting near the top of the league in a handful of key categories.
Alexis Lafrenire has been a big part of that surge, earning the NHLs Third Star of the Week after scoring in three straight games and giving New York another top-line threat to lean on. Tuesday also brings Hispanic Heritage Night to the Garden, with a pregame community program and a check presentation tied to the celebration, adding another layer to a matchup that already carries plenty of energy. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Are Backing Up Contender Talk With A Start Fans Will Love
The early chatter around the Rangers as a contender is getting louder for a reason. They have opened the season undefeated in their first five home games, a start the franchise has matched only twice before, and they are pairing that kind of home-ice surge with production and structure across the board. New York sits atop the league with six wins and has also shown up near the top in goals against, goals scored and penalty kill percentage, which is the sort of across-the-board profile teams usually need if they want to look the part in the spring.
There has also been no shortage of individual momentum helping fuel it. Alexis Lafrenire, Dylan Garand, Mika Zibanejad, Adam Fox, Will Cuylle, J.T. Miller and Tye Kartye have all had notable stretches or milestones already, giving the roster a steady stream of contributors instead of leaning on one hot line or one standout night. Lafrenire, in particular, has become one of the most interesting pieces of that mix, and the way his scoring pace is building has added another layer to a team that is starting to feel like it may be backed by more than just a good first impression. [Read more 🡒]
Scott Morrow Is Stuck In A Rangers Roster Squeeze
Scott Morrow is still waiting for his first game of the season, and the logjam in front of him explains why. The Rangers have kept their blue line intact, with Sean Durzi and Braden Schneider both entrenched in the lineup, and there is little indication either one is headed for the press box anytime soon. For a club that has leaned on its defensive structure while searching for more consistency on the offensive side, Morrows profile still stands out as the kind of player who could help tilt the ice the other way.
The catch, of course, is that his game comes with questions on the defensive end, which makes the roster decision more complicated than simply finding an open spot. Unless the Rangers create room through an injury or a trade on the back end, Morrow may remain in a holding pattern while the group in front of him stays healthy and intact. For now, he is the lone skater on the roster without an appearance this season, which says as much about the teams depth chart as it does about his own place in it. [Read more 🡒]