Avalanche Activate Cale Makar, Josh Manson Out Indefinitely
The Avalanche are getting some good news and some bad news regarding their back end. NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding relays that Cale Makar has been activated off injured reserve and will play today against Dallas. However, Josh Manson’s lower-body injury sustained on Wednesday is going to keep him out for a while; Boulding lists him as out week to week.
Makar is returning from his second stint in concussion protocol in a matter of weeks with this one keeping him out for the last five games. Fortunately for both him and the Avs, he told reporters including Kyle Frederickson of the Denver Gazette (Twitter link) that the symptoms were “very, very mild”.
When healthy, the 24-year-old is one of the premier offensive defensemen in the NHL and is hovering around the point-per-game mark with 13 goals and 32 assists in 46 games so far while averaging 26:57 per night, a career-high. Makar will undoubtedly be a big boost for their back end, especially on the power play.
As for Manson, his first full season with Colorado has not gone according to plan. Injuries have limited the 31-year-old to just 27 games so far in 2022-23 which is not what anyone was hoping for as he begins a four-year, $18MM deal. At this point, the Avalanche are likely just hoping that he’ll be able to get back late in the season to get ready for the playoffs next month. Even with his absence, there are seven blueliners on the active roster so no recall from AHL Colorado is likely.
Colorado Avalanche Place Cale Makar On Injured Reserve
In order to facilitate today’s call-ups from their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, the Colorado Avalanche placed defenseman Cale Makar on injured reserve, according to CapFriendly.
This move comes as Makar has dealt with concussion issues, something that has kept him out of the lineup since a February 18th contest with the St. Louis Blues. In that game, Makar collided with Blues forward Alexey Toropchenko, and he entered concussion protocol. That game had been his first since February seventh, when he was also sidelined with concussion symptoms.
While this placement on injured reserve is more about clearing a roster spot than anything else, it is an indication that Makar may still be a ways away from returning to the ice. It was not made clear if the IR placement was retroactive to the date of Makar’s last game, as the Dallas Stars did with today’s placement of Luke Glendening on injured reserve, but regardless one has to assume that Makar’s return to the ice isn’t imminent.
While the Avalanche have remained in the playoff hunt despite Makar’s absence for most of this month, this injury means the Avalanche remain without someone who is arguably their best player. The 24-year-old has shouldered an increasingly demanding defensive role this season and has scored 45 points in 46 games.
The reigning Norris and Conn Smythe Trophy winner is widely considered to be the best defenseman in the NHL, and his return to full health would do wonders for the Avalanche’s odds to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. But concussions are an extremely tricky issue, and the best course for Makar’s long-term personal health, as well as the long-term interests of the Avalanche, may be to be as patient with Makar’s timeline as possible.
Now, with Makar on injured reserve and his roster spot opened for another player to occupy, the team is free to give him as much time and space he needs to recover without the pressures of nightly games and roster math playing a major role.
Cale Makar Enters Concussion Protocol
For the second time in less than two weeks, Colorado Avalanche superstar Cale Makar has entered the concussion protocol. Head coach Jared Bednar confirmed on Denver radio that Makar experienced delayed symptoms, just like he did earlier this month. He is out for now as the team continues to monitor the effects of this latest issue.
Makar had just returned to the Avalanche lineup but collided with Alexey Toropchenko in the third period of Saturday’s game against the St. Louis Blues. As Peter Baugh of The Athletic reported, it wasn’t the concussion spotter who pulled him from the game initially; Makar believed his nose was cut by his visor and went to the room on his own before eventually returning.
The 24-year-old has logged an incredible amount of ice time for Colorado this season, averaging close to 27 minutes a night in his 46 appearances. Those appearances have unfortunately been limited in recent weeks and are now unclear moving forward.
The Avalanche can’t really afford to lose him for very long. The team is in third place in the Central but has a very tenuous grasp on that position, with the Minnesota Wild behind them. Sure, the rest of the defending champions are good enough to keep them in a playoff spot, but Makar is the engine that makes everything run, playing nearly half the game and contributing a ton at both ends of the rink.
Two concussions in such a short period is a scary thought and one that should keep Makar out for a little while as they make sure he won’t have any lingering effects.
Injury Updates: Landeskog, Makar, Kane
The Colorado Avalanche could be getting a significant player back from a long-term injury. The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando reports that Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog has arrived in Denver and plans to skate individually tomorrow, indicating that a return from the knee injury that has kept him off the ice all season is getting closer. Landeskog has not played this season, and in his absence the Avalanche have struggled to return to the level of dominance they often displayed last season.
Getting Landeskog back into the lineup in time for a stretch run of the season will be a major win for Colorado. Landeskog scored 59 points in 51 games last season and has hovered at about the point-per-game mark since the 2018-19 season. He would give coach Jared Bednar the opportunity to put the dynamite Landeskog-Nathan MacKinnon–Mikko Rantanen line back together or could opt to balance his top-six with that trio alongside Artturi Lehkonen, J.T. Compher, and Valeri Nichushkin in some sort of combination. While he may not be a full participant or ready to return in the immediate day-to-day future, it appears Landeskog’s return is within sight.
Some other injury updates:
- Just as the Avalanche prepare to get a difference-maker back into the lineup, they lose one. As relayed by The Athletic’s Peter Baugh, franchise defenseman Cale Makar is out with an upper-body injury. While it’s not known whether this is a head-related injury, Baugh did note that there is the possibility that this injury is related to contact made with his head/face area, and concussion-related symptoms, but that is not confirmed at this time.
- The Edmonton Oilers have announced that Evander Kane will not play in this afternoon’s game due to an upper-body injury. Per the announcement, his status is to be considered day-to-day. That’s not a great development for Edmonton, as Kane has already dealt with a major injury this season and is one of the team’s most important offensive difference-makers. Kane has scored 19 points in 24 games this season and scored 13 goals in 15 playoff games last season. As the Oilers hope to establish their position in the Western Conference’s playoff race, the health status of Kane will be something of major importance to monitor.
Snapshots: Makar, Lauko, Cicek, Berni
The Colorado Avalanche won’t have Cale Makar for at least the next two games, as he deals with a head injury. Peter Baugh of The Athletic confirms that it is from the collision with Jeff Carter, and notes that while the star defenseman passed the initial concussion protocol, he woke up feeling unwell the next day. So far, he has only been ruled out through the rest of this road trip, which ends on Saturday against the Florida Panthers.
Makar has 45 points in 45 games so far this season and is playing an incredible 27 minutes a night for the Avalanche. The 24-year-old has maintained a point-per-game pace through his first four seasons in the league and will likely once again receive Norris Trophy votes. Here are some more minor notes from around the league:
- The Boston Bruins have recalled Jakub Lauko, and had him skating on the fourth line as the team awaits the return of Jake DeBrusk. The latter’s flight was canceled, meaning he missed practice today, and head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters, including Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic that DeBrusk isn’t expected to play against Washington on Saturday night.
- Nick Cicek is back up with the San Jose Sharks after spending the All-Star break in the AHL. The young defenseman has played 14 games this season for the Sharks, last appearing on January 24 and playing just under 15 minutes. Still looking for his first NHL goal, he’ll join San Jose as they continue this road trip in Florida today and Washington on Sunday afternoon.
- Similarly, the Columbus Blue Jackets have brought Tim Berni back up, ahead of their back-to-back against the Maple Leafs that starts tomorrow night. The 22-year-old defenseman has played 28 games for the Blue Jackets this season, scoring his first NHL goal and racking up 18 penalty minutes.
Snapshots: Skills Results, International Games, Kastelic
The All-Star festivities kicked off on Friday night with the annual Skills Competition which featured some staple events as well as some new outdoor ones. Here is a listing of the winners for each event:
Tendy Tandem
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG/Juuse Saros, NSH (Central Division) – 13 points
Fastest Skater
Andrei Svechnikov, CAR – 13.699 seconds
NHL Pitch ‘n Puck
Nick Suzuki, MTL – 3
Splash Shot
Cale Makar/Mikko Rantanen, COL – 18.7 seconds
Hardest Shot
Elias Pettersson, VAN – 103.2 mph
Breakaway Challenge
Sidney Crosby, PIT/Alex Ovechkin, WSH – 40
Accuracy Shooting
Brock Nelson, NYI – 12.419 seconds
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- It appears that Australia will be where next season gets underway as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (Twitter link) that it’s all but a lock that the NHL will have games there to kick things off. He suggests that Boston and Los Angeles are among the teams in the mix to go although the full details won’t be announced until everything is finalized. Games were played in Prague to start this season while there were a pair of games in Tampere as well back in November.
- While there were plenty of players who were sent to the minors during the All-Star break, at least one regular player won’t be getting recalled right away. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch relays that the Senators’ plan for Mark Kastelic is to keep the forward in the minors once the schedule resumes. The 23-year-old has played in 43 games for Ottawa this season but has been out with a back issue for the last couple of weeks and will get some time to get back into form with AHL Belleville before potentially coming back up later on.
NHL Announces 2023 All-Star Player Assignments
The 2023 NHL All-Star Skills competition will take place tomorrow night, and today the league announced the full lineup of participants. Players from around the league will get to show off their unique abilities in several events, with each individual winner taking home $30,000.
Fastest Skater
Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings
Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Chandler Stephenson, Vegas Golden Knights
Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina Hurricanes
Breakaway Challenge
Roberto Luongo, Celebrity goaltender
Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals*
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins*
David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers
*Ovechkin and Crosby are listed as “teaming up”
Tendy Tandem
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators
Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
Stuart Skinner, Edmonton Oilers
Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders
Logan Thompson, Vegas Golden Knights
Linus Ullmark, Boston Bruins
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Splash Shot
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
Adam Fox, New York Rangers
Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers
Accuracy Shooting
Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
Kevin Hayes, Philadelphia Flyers
Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
Nazem Kadri, Calgary Flames
Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Brock Nelson, New York Islanders
Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers
Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues
Pitch ‘n Puck
Johnny Gaudreau, Columbus Blue Jackets
Clayton Keller, Arizona Coyotes
Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars
Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens
Hardest Shot
Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
Seth Jones, Chicago Blackhawks
Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
Cale Makar Out Day-To-Day
The Colorado Avalanche will again be absent a core piece, albeit for a short while. Head coach Jared Bednar said today that defenseman Cale Makar is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury but traveled with the team on their road trip.
Last year’s Conn Smythe and Norris Trophy winner, Makar sustained the injury in a three-point effort on Monday against the Detroit Red Wings. With 43 points in 42 games in 2022-23, Makar is amidst his third consecutive season at a point-per-game pace.
Colorado will be without its superstar defenseman tonight as they take on the Calgary Flames. However, Makar hasn’t been ruled out for the remaining two games of their northwest swing against Vancouver and Seattle.
As injuries to core pieces continue throughout the season, the concerning trend is truly beginning to wear down the defending Stanley Cup champions. The team is 3-6-1 in their past ten games, and they sit four points back of the Flames for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, making tonight’s game all the more critical.
In Makar’s hopefully short-term absence, veteran defender Erik Johnson slots in alongside Devon Toews on the team’s top pairing. They’re already without Bowen Byram and Josh Manson due to injury, meaning Colorado will be missing half their normal defense core tonight.
NHL Announces Initial All-Star Rosters
According to a league release, the NHL has named the first eight selections to the four divisional All-Star teams for the 2023 NHL All-Star Game in Sunrise, Florida.
The league names one player to represent each team at the game, a rule in standing since the league switched to a divisional format for its mid-season talent showcase. A public fan vote will decide the three remaining players per division next week.
Each division’s leader in points percentage after gameplay concludes on January 11 will determine coaches for these teams. The Boston Bruins have already clinched the best such number in the Atlantic at that time, meaning Jim Montgomery will be behind the bench for the star-studded Atlantic Division, arguably the league’s best contingent of talent.
The initial rosters for each division are as follows:
Atlantic Division
Boston: G Linus Ullmark (1st appearance)
Buffalo: C Tage Thompson (1st appearance)
Detroit: C Dylan Larkin (3rd appearance)
Florida: RW Matthew Tkachuk (2nd appearance)
Montreal: C Nick Suzuki (2nd appearance)
Ottawa: LW Brady Tkachuk (3rd appearance)
Tampa Bay: RW Nikita Kucherov (4th appearance)
Toronto: RW Mitch Marner (2nd appearance)
Metropolitan Division
Carolina: LW Andrei Svechnikov (1st appearance)
Columbus: LW Johnny Gaudreau (7th appearance)
New Jersey: C Jack Hughes (2nd appearance)
NY Islanders: C Brock Nelson (1st appearance)
NY Rangers: G Igor Shesterkin (1st appearance)
Philadelphia: C Kevin Hayes (1st appearance)
Pittsburgh: C Sidney Crosby (5th appearance)
Washington: LW Alex Ovechkin (8th appearance)
Central Division
Arizona: LW Clayton Keller (3rd appearance)
Chicago: RD Seth Jones (4th appearance)
Colorado: RD Cale Makar (2nd appearance)
Dallas: LW Jason Robertson (1st appearance)
Minnesota: LW Kirill Kaprizov (2nd appearance)
Nashville: G Juuse Saros (2nd appearance)
St. Louis: RW Vladimir Tarasenko (injured) (4th appearance)
Winnipeg: LD Josh Morrissey (1st appearance)
Pacific Division
Anaheim: RW Troy Terry (2nd appearance)
Calgary: C Nazem Kadri (2nd appearance)
Edmonton: C Connor McDavid (6th appearance)
Los Angeles: LW Kevin Fiala (1st appearance)
San Jose: RD Erik Karlsson (7th appearance)
Seattle: C Matthew Beniers (1st appearance)
Vancouver: C Elias Pettersson (3rd appearance)
Vegas: G Logan Thompson (1st appearance)
The most important note on these rosters is obviously that of Tarasenko’s status. The 31-year-old is on injured reserve with a hand injury, and likely won’t be able to suit up. His replacement will be named shortly.
More to come…
Snapshots: Makar, Detroit, New Jersey
Not only did Cale Makar take home the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman and win a Stanley Cup after just his third season in the league, but he was awarded the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP. It wasn’t a close race. All 18 voters selected the young Colorado Avalanche defenseman as the winner, utterly demolishing his only real competition in Nathan MacKinnon, who appeared on all but one ballot (15 second place votes, two third place).
It has been an incredible start to a career for Makar, who currently sits at 180 points in 178 regular season games, 60 more in 55 postseason contests, and now has three major individual awards before he even turns 24. His 29 points in this postseason are the fourth-most ever for a defenseman in a single year, trailing only Paul Coffey (37 in 1985), Brian Leetch (34 in 1994), and Al MacInnis (31 in 1989).
- The Detroit Red Wings are getting closer to naming a head coach, now that they will be able to interview Tampa Bay Lightning assistants Jeff Halpern and Derek Lalonde. Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News writes that Lalonde is currently considered a slight favorite for the job after his impressive rise through the ranks as a head coach. The Tampa Bay assistant has previous stops as head man with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL, Toledo Walleye of the ECHL, and Iowa Wild of the AHL, having never experienced a losing season at any stop.
- The New Jersey Devils have had preliminary contract talks with several pending free agents, including Mason Geertsen and A.J. Greer according to Ryan Novozinsky of NJ.com, but not Frederik Gauthier, who is set to hit the open market next month. It appears as though the 2013 first-round pick might have to find a new place to ply his trade, even after his best minor league season to date. The 27-year-old Gauthier had 32 points in 51 games for the Utica Comets but was held scoreless in eight NHL contests.