Both stars suffered lower-body injuries in the second period of Colorado's 4-3 overtime loss to Ottawa on Thursday.
Colorado's top line just got a lot thinner. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar both went down with lower-body injuries during the second period of the Avalanche's 4-3 overtime loss to the Senators on Thursday, and neither will be back soon.
MacKinnon, the team's leading scorer, is expected to miss approximately one month. Makar, one of the league's top defensemen, will be sidelined for roughly two weeks. Head coach Jared Bednar confirmed both timelines on Saturday.
Losing MacKinnon and Makar at the same time strips Colorado of its most important forward and its most important defenseman in one blow, forcing the Avalanche to adjust their lineup and leaning on depth players earlier in the season than they would like.
There is no word yet on a specific return date for either player, with the club instead working off the general windows laid out by Bednar.