LOS ANGELES — The downside of a world-class defenseman logging NHL-leading minutes isn’t difficult to figure out.

More ice time means more wear and tear. More opportunities to sustain injuries.

The Avalanche are navigating Cale Makar’s health again as the NHL playoffs near. The defending Norris Trophy winner has missed Colorado’s last two games with a lower-body injury and didn’t skate with the team here Friday at the Kings’ facility. The Avs (47-24-6) are preparing for a back-to-back Saturday (8:30 p.m. MT) at Los Angeles and Sunday (6:30 p.m.)  at Anaheim.

“I would consider him day-to-day at this point,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar told The Post when asked if there’s any long-term concern. “But we’re just going to wait for him to feel good before he plays, so I don’t have a timeline.”

This is the fifth time Makar has missed a string of games due to an injury this calendar year. He was out four games in January, then suffered two related concussions in February to miss nine more games. Now he is dealing with his second lower-body injury in the last three weeks.

The team wants to be extra careful around this time of year, even in the heat of a race for the Central division title. To ask a skater to play through even a minor injury five games before the playoffs would be a risk.

“I think we’re sitting in a good spot,” Bednar said, “and we’re trying to make sure it’s not something that’s going to linger.”

Makar has been extraordinary when healthy. He has 66 points in 60 games, making him one of only two defensemen in the NHL to average more than a point per game. Erik Karlsson, the Norris front-runner, has 98 points in 78 games for the Sharks.

Before the injuries to Makar and Darren Helm, there were already four injured players accompanying the Avalanche on the four-game road trip through California. Three of those players skated Friday: Gabriel Landeskog, Artturi Lehkonen and Pavel Francouz.

They joined the rest of the team toward the end of practice. Defenseman Josh Manson did not get on the ice with them. The forwards, Landeskog (knee) and Lehkonen (finger), both wore red no-contact jerseys and stayed afterward for a long session with skills coach Shawn Allard.

Bednar still anticipates Lehkonen will be playoff-ready. He’s handling a stick more frequently, trying out the broken finger on his right hand.

“I’d like to get him in a game or two before playoff season,” Bednar said. “But we’re just not sure if that’s going to be possible or not.”

Bednar didn’t rule out Francouz as an option to split the upcoming back-to-back with starting goalie Alexandar Georgiev. Francouz has been out since Feb. 7, when he was in net for the Avalanche’s first game back from the NHL All-Star break. Jonas Johansson is also traveling with the team, so if Francouz isn’t ready to go by Sunday, Johansson could be an option against the Ducks. “I don’t know yet,” Bednar said.

Depending on the team’s health, there’s a chance Ben Meyers ends up finding his way into playoff action for the Avalanche. The center, one year out of college, scored his second and third goals of the season Thursday in San Jose. It was his 35th game at the NHL level this year, breaking a 31-game drought without a goal.

“If we were entering the playoffs today, he’d be playing. So it just depends,” Bednar said. “I feel like it’s really important for him to be able to get on the board. Because he’s put a lot of hard work into this season, both here and with the Eagles. … He’s been doing the right things, and you want to get rewarded for your hard work at some point. It’s taken a while. He’s kind of been snake-bit.

“This call-up especially, the pace of his game is really up. He’s skating really well. So it’s a good sign of what’s to come for him.”