Avalanche star defenseman doubtful Tuesday with lower-body injury

The Colorado Avalanche are likely to play Tuesday night’s home game against the Anaheim Ducks without leading scorer and superstar defenseman Cale Makar. As reported by The Athletic’s Peter Baugh, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar indicated Makar is doubtful for Tuesday’s game.

Makar, 25, suffered the injury in last Saturday’s shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks. He didn’t take the ice for the final few minutes of the third period before sitting out overtime and the shootout. Makar then missed Sunday’s game, a 4-1 defeat to the Los Angeles Kings.

Makar was on the ice for Tuesday’s morning skate, indicating he might not be far off from a return. He ranks among the most irreplaceable players in the sport today, tied with Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes for the NHL’s scoring lead among defensemen and fifth in overall scoring with 34 points, eight behind leader Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Makar has reached his total in two fewer games than Hughes; with 34 points in just 23 contests, Makar is scoring at a 121-point pace. Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey are the only defensemen to eclipse that number in a full season. Earlier this season, Makar became the fastest defenseman in NHL history to reach 250 career points, doing it in 241 games, reaching the mark six games faster than Orr did.

The Avalanche lead the Central Division with a 15-7-2 record. Their long list of missing contributors includes captain Gabriel Landeskog (knee), left winger Artturi Lehkonen (neck), backup goaltender Pavel Francouz (groin) and defenseman Samuel Girard (player assistance program). Not only is Makar likely remaining on that list, but checking forward Andrew Cogliano will miss Tuesday’s game with a lower-body injury, Bednar told reporters. The Avs do expect to have left winger Valeri Nichushkin (illness) back Tuesday night, however.