The Nashville Predators are riding high on a 7-game win streak with two games left on their road trip. The morning after a thrilling shootout win against the Vegas Golden Knights, news has been released by another Western Conference team regarding injuries to key players.
Colorado coach Jared Bednar said this morning Nathan MacKinnon out a month and Cale Makar out a couple of weeks
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 14, 2026
According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, Colorado Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar announced this morning that the team will be without Nathan MacKinnon for a month and Cale Makar for around 2 weeks. No one is happy to see any player suffer an injury, no matter which NHL club they play for, but these injuries nonetheless will have huge effects on the playoff picture for the Preds.
After 20 games for each team, Nashville sits second in the Central Division with 27 points ahead of third place Colorado's 25 points. While the teams won't go head-to-head in the expected timetable of these particular injuries, it can provide a chance for the Preds to pull ahead and secure a spot in the playoffs.
Elliotte Friedman: Re Predators: Chris MacFarland told [the team], if you're in the race, I'm not making calls on you, and they're very much in the race - 32 Thoughts (11/12)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) November 14, 2026
It is believed Chris MacFarland has let the team know that if they can stay in the race, he won't move out veterans. With pending UFA Ryan O'Reilly already heading many people's "Trade Boards", the players in the room seem to be making a statement. With rumors also swirling of potential adds being made to the team, they were at a bit of a crossroads as to which direction to take earlier in the year.
With a team firmly in the race for a postseason berth, it's hard to believe MacFarland has any motivation to move any pending UFA's right now. Now, with injuries to key opponents, the team will have that much more motivation to push for the playoffs. There have been question marks about where to fit players like Nicholas Hague and Johnathan Marchessault into the lineup could the GM explore using these assets to gear up for an acquisition?
The Colorado Avalanche have been a juggernaut in the Central Division for a few years, and a big rival of the Predators, providing many exciting matchups. With these two all star caliber players missing, however, the Avalanche could face trouble holding that third-place position as hungry teams climb, like the streaking Winnipeg Jets on a 5-game win streak, or the Dallas Stars, who are often picked as a team to have a long playoff run. Nashville, too, should be wary of these teams and use this time to keep banking as many standings points as possible.
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