How long is Cale Makar out? Injury details, return date, latest news on Avalanche defenseman

Cale Makar continues to deal with concussion-like symptoms, putting him in protocol yet again. 

The Avalanche defenseman is going to miss games for the second time in February due to a head injury. He previously was absent from four games earlier this month and is going to miss at least two more after his attempted return. 

As a team, Colorado is finally starting to get fully healthy, but Makar’s setback means it is going to be without its top defenseman at least for the near future. 

The 24-year-old won the Norris Trophy last season as the league’s best defenseman and earned the 2023 Conn Smythe as playoff MVP after the Avs won the Stanley Cup. 

MORE: When is the 2023 NHL trade deadline?

The Sporting News has all the injury updates on Makar and when he could potentially return. 

What is Cale Makar’s injury?

Makar is back in concussion protocol. It is the second time this month that he is dealing with a head injury. 

Previously, Makar was injured during the Avalanche’s contest against the Penguins on Feb. 7. Jeff Carter delivered a high, blindside hit to Makar that forced the Avs defenseman out of the game. 

Cale Makar to the locker room after this hit from Jeff Carter pic.twitter.com/ed0Yj53GZb

— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) February 8, 2023

Carter was not penalized nor did he face any discipline for the hit to the head. Makar missed the next four games. 

Makar returned for the matchup against the Blues on Feb. 18, but left the game briefly after a collision with Alexei Toropchenko. 

In his first game back after suffering a concussion earlier this month, Cale Makar was forced off the ice following a collision with Alexei Toropchenko. pic.twitter.com/OBtXKBrfi3

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 18, 2023

The defenseman returned and played the rest of the game. Afterward, he told the Denver Gazette’s Kyle Fredrickson that he went down to the tunnel because he thought his visor had hit his nose. 

Spoke with #Avs Cale Makar in the postgame locker room. He expects to play tomorrow versus Edmonton after another blow to the head.

“Yeah, I hope so. Unless anything turns. Just a tough one. I got kind of bruised on the nose just because I think my visor hit it. But we’ll see.”

— Kyle Fredrickson (@kylefredrickson) February 18, 2023

While both Makar and Avs coach Jared Bednar believed that Makar would play against the Oilers on Feb. 19, he was reported out early in the afternoon with an upper-body injury.

Two days later, the news came out that he was feeling a delayed response from the incident against the Blues and would be ruled out this upcoming weekend. 

Coach says a delayed response to hit in St Louis has Cale Makar back in protocol and will not play this upcoming weekend. https://t.co/YZzdwninxQ

— Marc Moser TV (@RadioMoser) February 21, 2023

When will Cale Makar return?

It is unclear exactly how long Makar is going to be out for, however he has already been ruled out for Colorado’s games on Feb. 24 and Feb. 25 of this weekend. 

“We’ll monitor (Makar) and hope for a speedy return, but it won’t be the two games this weekend,” Bednar said on Tuesday during a radio interview on 92.5 FM Altitude Sports Radio. 

Jared Bednar’s injury updates on Gabe Landeskog who glided on ice this weekend and Cale Makar being back in concussion protocol#GoAvsGo @Avalanche @RadioMoser | @VicLombardi | @BrettKaneRadio | @AltitudeTV pic.twitter.com/qHPiwtRDPm

— 92.5 FM – Denver’s Altitude Sports Radio (@AltitudeSR) February 21, 2023

Cale Makar stats 2022-23

While Makar hasn’t been putting up the dominant numbers he had last year, he has still been right around a point-per-game player for the Avalanche in 2022-23. 

He is third on the team in points, trailing only Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. Only Rantanen has more assists than Makar. Makar also leads the NHL in time on ice, averaging 26:56 minutes a game.