Former Hart Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon and two-time Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar sustained lower-body injuries in the second period of the Colorado Avalanche’s 4-3 overtime loss to the host Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.
MacKinnon, a five-time All-Star and one of the NHL’s elite forwards, exited with 8:15 left in the second. He attempted a reverse hit on the Senators’ Artem Zub, then grabbed at his right side and remained on the bench before going to the locker room.
Makar, a six-time All-Star and one of the game’s best offensive defensemen, took a four-second shift in the middle of the second period before heading down the tunnel. He returned later in the period for a 23-second shift, then spent the rest of that frame on the bench.
Makar left practice on Sunday as a precaution due to a lower-body issue.
Avalanche coach Jared Bednar told reporters he was unsure whether either player would be in the lineup Saturday night at Montreal.
MacKinnon, 31, was selected No. 1 overall by Colorado in the 2013 draft. He ranks fifth in the league with 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists) through 20 games. Over 14 seasons spanning 970 games, he has amassed 1,172 points (430 goals, 742 assists). MacKinnon won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie in 2013-14.
Makar, 28, was selected No. 4 overall by the Avalanche in the 2017 draft, and he was the Calder winner in 2019-20. He ranks third among NHL defensemen with 23 points (five goals, 18 assists) in 19 games. He has compiled 530 points (141 goals, 389 assists) over eight seasons (489 games).
“Obviously, they’re two of the best players in the world, so you like to have them, no doubt,” Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog said after the game. “But I don’t think it’s any different, right? Like, you just play with whoever you got, whoever’s ready to go, whoever’s healthy and up, they play. So, hope those guys will be just fine.”