Our Avalanche mailbag popped off with questions last week. Cale Makar skated on Sunday and wants to play. Also, Brad Marchand is getting praise from his peers at 4 Nations. All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily —.

Makar (illness) will miss Saturday's game against the United States, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Makar recorded two shots and three blocks in a team-high 28:06 of ice time in Canada's 4-3 overtime victory over Sweden on Wednesday.

The Colorado Avalanche stumbled through a pair of road games against inferior competition to start the post-4 Nations Face-Off stretch run. Now the team has a season-high six-game homestand coming up,

The Avalanche on Wednesday returned to the ice for their first official practice after the 4 Nations Face-Off break. What's left of them, that is. It was known that Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Devon Toews wouldn't be there,

The Colorado Avalanche trio of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Devon Toews had an easy excuse for not attending practice on Friday.

The Avalanche are back. Well, kind of. Already missing 4 Nations Face-Off finalists Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews, the Avs were also without Artturi Lehkonen, Logan O’Connor, Samuel Girard,

The Avs hope Valeri Nichushkin could play as soon as Wednesday, the first game of the homestand, against New Jersey. That would be the healthiest the team has been all year, with just defenseman Josh Manson missing from a Landeskog-less optimal lineup.

Makar notched two power-play assists, four shots on goal and two blocked shots in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Devils.

Cale Makar is only 26 years old, but he continues to leave a mark on the NHL record books. The Colorado Avalanche defenseman became the third-fastest blueliner in NHL history to reach the 400-point mark on Sunday against the St.

The Colorado Avalanche star is out of the lineup for Canada in its titanic showdown with the United States at Bell Centre in the 4 Nations Face-Off because of an illness. He missed practice Friday as well but was on the ice for Canada’s morning skate Saturday.

Canada is without No. 1 defenseman Cale Makar for its game against the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Part of the reason for Canada’s loss could be chalked up to the absence of their best defenseman, Cale Makar. An illness sidelined ... and was confirmed to be back in the lineup. Makar will re-join his Colorado Avalanche teammate Devon Toews on Team ...