Jared Bednar makes curious comment about Cale Makar moving forward

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar hasn’t said much about the Cale Makar injury situation.

And that’s his right, as hockey is very secretive around injuries, especially this time of year.

But after the Avs collapsed against the Golden Knights in the third period on Friday night, Bednar was in a more sharing mood. Colorado is now down 2-0 to Vegas in the Western Conference Final after a frustrating 3-1 loss.

Bednar was asked about if there’s a sense of urgency to get Makar back given the series deficit, or if the timeline is simply the timeline.

Here’s Jared Bednar’s full quote to me on it being Cale Makar’s decision when he returns to the Avalanche’s lineup. pic.twitter.com/HQUKyGMTRb

— Will Petersen (@PetersenWill) May 23, 2026

“There’s urgency to get him back since he’s gotten hurt. But it’s gonna be Cale’s decision on when he’s coming back,” Jared Bednar said.

The head coach has now put it on the player to return to the ice. There’s no question the Avalanche desperately need Makar, scoring only three goals in two games against Vegas. The superstar defenseman is dealing with possible hip and shoulder injuries. He has skated each of the last three days.

“He’s doing all the work he can possibly do to try to get back as fast as he can,” Bednar said. “I don’t make that decision for him. But yeah there’s urgency to make sure everyone is in and available and everyone’s playing as well as they possibly can.”

And the Avalanche aren’t playing well. They were Stanley Cup favorites when they woke up Wednesday morning and are now two games from elimination.

Makar would certainly help the cause and Jared Bednar has put the ball in his court. We’ll see if he’s out there on Sunday night in Vegas when Colorado essentially tries to save its season.

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