Cale Makar looks to be getting closer to returning — but he’s not quite there.
The star defensemen for the Colorado Avalanche was on the ice for over 30 minutes on Friday morning, getting work in ahead of Colorado’s morning skate and then sticking around with the team, but Jared Bednar ruled him out for Game 2.
The 27-year-old took a lot of shots, did some contact drills with some of his fellow Avalanche teammates, and looked better than he did the day prior, but he’s still not ready to return to the lineup, according to Bednar.
Bednar would not give any more info on who will replace Makar in the lineup, but Nick Blankenburg came off the ice well before Jack Ahcan, who stuck around to skate with the usual healthy scratches.
Ahcan has dressed in each of the last three games for the Avalanche but has seen limited ice time.
Game 2 between the Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights starts at 6 p.m.