According to The Athletic's Julian McKenzie, MacKinnon is expected to miss approximately one month, while Makar will be sidelined for the next two weeks. Head coach Jared Bednar also confirmed the timelines Saturday, with The Denver Post's Corey Masisak reporting the latest update. The injuries leave Colorado without its leading scorer and one of the NHL's top defensemen.
Both players suffered their injuries in the second period of Colorado's 4-3 overtime loss to Ottawa. Makar left after a short shift but briefly returned before exiting again. Less than a minute later, MacKinnon took contact from Senators defenseman Artem Zub while protecting the puck. He also headed to the locker room.
Colorado has already begun adjusting its lineup. The Avalanche recalled forward Gavin Brindley from the Colorado Eagles to help replace MacKinnon. Alex Gagne could also make his NHL debut against the Montreal Canadiens. He has traveled with the team as an extra defenseman.
MacKinnon leads Colorado with 30 points in 20 games, including 10 goals and 20 assists. Makar has added 23 points in 19 appearances, with five goals and 18 assists. Without their two stars, the Avalanche will need other players to step up and carry more of the workload.
The coming weeks will test Colorado's depth as it tries to stay competitive without Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, two of its biggest contributors.