The Colorado Avalanche may be without their star defenseman after latest announcement
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Daniel Lucente
May 20, 2026 (9:36)
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Photo credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Sam Malinski just handed Jared Bednar a Game 1 problem Colorado did not want.
The Colorado Avalanche have not ruled Cale Makar out against the Vegas Golden Knights, but Malinski's wording changed the temperature around the blue line.
This was not a throwaway quote.
"I don't know what to tell them. Obviously, it would be great to have him out here. You can't replace him, and we're going to miss him out there. Yeah, hopefully we can still get it done without him."
- Sam Malinski
- Sam Malinski
This sounds different from saying the room is waiting on a game-time decision.
Makar has 4 goals and 1 assist in these playoffs while averaging nearly 25 minutes a night.
Colorado also finished the regular season at 55-16-11 with a +99 goal differential, so this is not a team short on answers.
But losing Makar, even for one night, changes how Bednar manages every matchup after puck drop.
Malinski answers as if Colorado is already preparing to play without its top defenseman.
Malinski's quote shifts pressure onto Colorado's blue line
The first read is simple: Bednar can downplay concern, but the locker room language sounded more advanced than "wait and see."
Vegas is not a soft landing spot. The Golden Knights entered this series at 39-26-17 with a +15 goal differential, and they can stress defensive pairs with size, pace, and extended zone time.
Without Makar, Devon Toews becomes the first pressure point. Sam Malinski likely gets more puck-moving work, more defensive-zone starts, and more heat on retrievals.
The power play also becomes a different animal. Makar's deception up top pulls penalty boxes out of shape, and nobody on Colorado's bench replicates that touch.
The smart read is not that Malinski confirmed an absence. It is that his answer exposed how real the internal planning has become.
For Colorado, Game 1 is now about more than Makar's status. It is about whether Bednar's structure can survive if the Avalanche have to win without their best defenseman.
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