The Colorado Avalanche’s prized rookie, Cale Makar, missed eight games with an upper-body injury after a nasty hit from nasty Brad Marchand. We all feared the worst when we saw him skate off the ice and go down the tunnel — a long-term absence. However, we were lucky, and Makar only missed eight games.
Before the injury, Cale Makar had been a heavy favorite for the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year. At one point, he was scoring at a pace not seen in a rookie defenseman in 100 years. Naturally, that all ended with his eight-game absence.