Colorado's blue line is getting thin at the worst time. The Avalanche placed defenseman Josh Manson on long-term injured reserve on Monday, and Cale Makar is uncertain for Tuesday's game in Toronto after leaving Sunday's practice in pain.
Manson out for a while
Manson, 35, has been out since an ankle injury suffered Oct. 28 against New Jersey. He had played 13 of the Avalanche's 18 games this season, with one goal, three assists, a plus 5 rating, 28 hits and 17 blocked shots. The long-term injured reserve placement means at least 10 games or 24 days out, and the injury report lists him out until Dec. 27 at the earliest, an estimate.
The team recalled defenseman Alex Gagne from the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League. Gagne, 24, has not played in the NHL yet. He has two goals in 14 games with the Eagles this season and will wear No. 45.
Makar, the big question mark
On Sunday, Makar left practice early with a trainer after appearing to be in pain. Head coach Jared Bednar called it a precautionary exit and said they would see how he presents the next day. The good news is that Makar is traveling with the team for this four game road trip, which starts Tuesday in Toronto and continues Thursday in Ottawa. Nothing says yet that he will miss Tuesday's game, but nothing guarantees he plays either.
Makar has 21 points, including 5 goals and 16 assists, in 17 games this season, with a plus 4 rating. He is the one defenseman Colorado can least afford to lose. Without him, the remaining defensemen are Brent Burns, Devon Toews, Brett Kulak, Sam Malinski and Noah Juulsen.
What it means for your pool
Stash Manson on your injured reserve, he will be out for a good stretch. For Makar, do not panic and wait for Tuesday's news, at the latest when the lineup is announced. If Makar had to miss time, Toews and Burns would soak up the big minutes, and Malinski would become an interesting option in deep formats, since he already plays a bigger role since Manson's injury.
Sources
The facts in this article come from PuckPedia, as reported by RotoWire, and from reports by Colorado Hockey Now and The Hockey News.