Cale Makar on the road with Avs after leaving practice, but team calls up defenseman

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is with the team in Toronto.

That’s the good news as they prepare to take on the Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.

The bad news is Makar left practice early on Sunday, with multiple reporters saying he appeared to be in pain as he skated off the ice. It looked like a lower-body issue for Makar.

Head coach Jared Bednar said after the session that Makar would travel with the Avalanche as they embark on a three-game swing through Canada, but Colorado also made a move on Monday that raised a few eyebrows.

We have recalled Alex Gagne from the Colorado Eagles. pic.twitter.com/nDR7YEbwsC

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) November 9, 2026

If Cale Makar can suit up against the Maple Leafs, defenseman Alex Gagne will likely be an insurance policy who won’t dress. Gagne is a seventh defenseman for the Avs with Josh Manson out eight weeks.

But if Gagne makes his NHL debut, that’s likely bad news on the Makar front and means he needs to miss at least one game — if not more.

A better idea of what’s going on with Makar should happen at morning skate in Toronto on Tuesday. We’ll see if he’s on the ice and then any clarity Bednar can offer when he meets with the media.

Makar, who signed the biggest contract in NHL history over the summer, has five goals and 16 assists, good for 21 points. He’s played in 17 of 18 games for the Avs this season, missing one for the birth of his twins.

Always in the mix for the Norris Trophy, Cale Makar is largely regarded as the best defenseman in the league. Let’s hope the Gagne promotion is simply precautionary.

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