Cale Makar Returns for Game 3 as Avalanche Trail 0-2 in Western Conference Final

Colorado’s two-time Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar entered the 2025-26 season with 20 goals, 79 points and a +32 rating, ranking third among defensemen in scoring. A regular-season injury forced him to miss the final seven games, but he returned for the closing stretch and helped the Avalanche capture the Presidents’ Trophy (121 points). In the Western Conference Final, Makar missed Games 1 and 2 against the Vegas Golden Knights due to an upper-body issue, and Colorado fell behind 0-2, scoring just three goals (including a 6-on-4) while going 1-for-5 on the power play without him.

Avalanche’s Makar returns for Game 3 against Golden Knights

• Regular season (75 games): 20 G, 79 A, +32, 24:51 min/GP, third-most points among defensemen.

Makar returns to Avalanche lineup for Game 3 of West Final

• Playoffs (9 games): 4 G, 5 A, +5, 61.71 % xGF% (highest on the roster).

Makar returns to Avalanche lineup for Game 3 of West Final

• Team scoring: 4.00 G/GP in the first nine playoff contests; only 3 G in the two losses to Vegas.

Avalanche’s Makar returns for Game 3 against Golden Knights

• Power play: 1-for-5 without Makar; normally he anchors the lone-defenseman unit.

USA Today

Head coach Jared Bednar declined to confirm Makar’s status, telling reporters “You’ll have to wait and see.” He added that the Avalanche’s back-end “didn’t manage the puck efficiently, move out of the defensive zone, or limit turnovers” in the first two games and expects improvement with Makar’s return. Defense partner Devon Toews emphasized the team’s depth, noting confidence in the lineup and a collective responsibility to “limit their chances and help on the offensive side.” Bednar also kept the starting-goaltender decision private.

Superstar Defenseman Cale Makar Returns For Avalanche in Game 3

Analyst Drew Livingstone of *The Athletic* questioned whether Colorado could overcome the deficit without its premier defender, asking, “Can MacKinnon and friends steal one in Vegas without their best defender?” Medical caution has also been voiced, as playing an athlete with an unresolved upper-body injury could risk further harm and affect performance.

Jared Bednar sparks panic with alarming Cale Makar update before Game 3

Sources differ on the injury’s nature: some cite a shoulder strain from a collision with Marcus Foligno in Game 5 against Minnesota, others mention a possible hip issue, while several simply label it an “upper-body injury.” No official medical update has clarified the exact diagnosis or projected recovery timeline.

Denver Post

• “You’ll have to wait and see” — Jared Bednar, Colorado Avalanche head coach

Avalanche head coach Bednar on Makar’s status for Game 3: ‘You’ll have to wait and see’

• “Obviously, Cale helps in so many different areas; you can’t put in a new guy in the lineup and replace him, but you can make sure you’re focused and prepared to play your best game,” — Jared Bednar

Makar returns to Avalanche lineup for Game 3 of West Final

• “We’re confident with the guys we’ve got. It’s just on us to get the job done and limit their chances and go help on the offensive side as well.” — Devon Toews, defenseman

Makar returns for Avalanche in Game 3 of Western Final

• “I think you just have to play your game,” — Devon Toews

Makar returns for Avalanche in Game 3 of Western Final

• “I think a big thing is that knowing nobody can try to be Cale, can act or try to play like him,” — Brett Kulak, defenseman

Makar returns for Avalanche in Game 3 of Western Final

Game 3 at T-Mobile Arena will determine whether Colorado can stave off a 0-3 hole. Makar’s minutes and effectiveness on the power play will be closely watched, as will Bednar’s eventual goaltender choice between Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood. A win could spark a rare comeback from a 0-2 deficit; a loss would place the Avalanche on the brink of elimination.

Notebook: Makar, goalie mystery hangs over Avalanche entering Game 3