Anticipation is mounting as the Colorado Avalanche faces a challenging situation with Cale Makar, who is sidelined due to a recent injury. As the team’s star player, Makar’s absence has raised questions about how his potential recovery timeline might affect Colorado’s performance.

"He's getting close," coach Spencer Carbery said. "We'll see what the plan is for him tomorrow. I'm not sure on the back-to-back (against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday, at St. Louis Blues on Saturday), but we'll see where we go. I'll talk to the training staff after we wrap up this morning. -- Tom Gulitti

Colorado star defenseman Cale Makar left the Avalanche's 6-3 victory over Seattle in the middle of the second period with an undisclosed injury and returned for less than 30 seconds in the final period Tuesday night.

Nathan MacKinnon had his most productive night of the season to pull the Colorado Avalanche out of a funk, but the club’s extraordinary injury crisis may have somehow reached a new level.

On Tuesday, the return of Lehkonen gave fans the hope they had been looking for. It also appeared to give the Avalanche a much-needed jolt of energy, helping them break their three-game losing streak with a 6-3 victory.

It’s bold to suggest any NHL defenseman is superior to Orr. But watch Cale Makar control the play with his skill, skating and savvy, and you just might believe the blasphemy.

Colorado star defenseman Cale Makar left the Avalanche's 6-3 victory over Seattle in the middle of the second period with an undisclosed injury and returned for less that 30 seconds in the final period on Tuesday night.

The Colorado Avalanche will have to wait to find out if No. 1 defenceman Cale Makar will play in their divisional matchup with the Winnipeg Jets.