Exclusive: MacKinnon, Makar injury updates

Avalanche fans can breathe a bit easier right now. Colorado Hockey Now has learned that superstar forward Nathan MacKinnon is expected to be on the ice for Friday’s morning skate, and if things check out normally will be in the lineup for the game later that night against the Anaheim Ducks. Also, Cale Makar, who has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury, will miss two more this weekend. But, the good news is, Makar should be back in the lineup next week sometime.

The Avs, for sure, are feeling lucky after the hit on MacKinnon’s head last night in San Jose didn’t result in anything more serious than what would go down in the books as just one partially missed third period. Here’s the deal: MacKinnon is expected to be on the ice for the morning skate, but there is still the possibility that maybe things don’t feel right when that happens. But as of Thursday night, there was good optimism that MacKinnon will check out OK.

Makar, again, won’t play this weekend against Anaheim. But his injury is expected to clear by next week and then he’d be back to being a player. I don’t know for sure what the injury is/was. So, I won’t speculate. Even though I think I know what it is. OK, moving right along…

The NHL today, by the way, issued a two-game suspension to San Jose’s Joachim Blichfeld for the hit on MacKinnon. Here is the explanation video from the league on it:

San Jose’s Joachim Blichfeld has been suspended for two games for an Illegal Check to the Head on Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon. https://t.co/jI9PzOaMk5

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) March 5, 2021