Cale Makar is expected to be available when the Colorado Avalanche face the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto, easing a brief injury scare that began when he left practice on Nov. 8 as a precaution because of a lower-body issue. The defenseman said he feels really good and ready to go tonight.
That matters because Makar has been one of Colorado's most productive players again this season. He is tied for fourth among NHL defensemen with five goals, fifth with 21 points and seventh with 16 assists, while adding 46 shots on net and 20 blocked shots in 17 appearances. Colorado also carries 22 points in the Central Division, and Makar's availability helps stabilize both its blue line and its offense.
The timing is sharp. The Avalanche are playing Toronto in the second and final regular-season meeting between the teams in 2026-27, after the Maple Leafs won 6-3 on Oct. 10 in Colorado. Colorado comes in off a 4-0 win over Detroit, a game in which Nathan MacKinnon and Makar each produced a power-play goal and two assists. MacKinnon scored his 10th goal at 12:30 of the second period on a left-circle one-timer.
Toronto arrives after a 4-0 shutout loss to the New Jersey Devils, so both teams are walking into this one with a recent result that should sharpen the edge. The difference for Colorado is that its best defenseman appears set to play after a practice exit that sounded worse than it turned out to be.
For the Avalanche, that is the important detail tonight: Makar is not just available, he is expected to take the ice against a Toronto team that already has one win in the series. With an eight-year, $163.2 million contract behind him and another big night from MacKinnon fresh in the record, Colorado heads into the matchup with its top weapon intact.
