Makar’s Absence Looms Large As Avs, Sabres Make Moves

When Cale Makar is missing, the Avalanche don’t just lose a star - they lose the guy who changes how everyone else on the ice breathes. That kind of hole turns a Game 1 loss into a lot more than one bad night, because every matchup starts to look different once the best defenseman in the game is out of the picture. On the other side of the league, Buffalo is showing patience with Lindy Ruff, which says plenty about where the Sabres think they are in their long rebuild.