Avalanche’s Kadri will ‘miss some games,’ should be back before playoffs
An optimistic lens is being applied to an important player for the best team in the NHL.
When speaking to the media, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar revealed that forward Nazem Kadri “will miss some games” due to injury. However, Bednar admitted that the plan is for Kadri to appear in one more game before the regular season comes to an end.
Kadri “will miss some games” but Jared Bednar said the plan is to get him in at least one more regular season game.
Kadri was knocked out of action on Tuesday night in a game against the St. Louis Blues. Halfway through the game, the 35-year-old took a shot to the hand, forcing him to leave the contest. He logged just 6:09 of ice time across seven shifts in the game, but the Avalanche played on without him, grabbing a 3-1 victory and securing the Central Division title, while clinching the top seed in the Western Conference for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The London, Ont. native returned to Colorado right as the trade deadline bell sounded last month, as the Calgary Flames dealt him back to the team that he helped win the Cup in 2022. He was brought back into the fold in Denver to further bolster a stacked roster, as the team hopes it has the tools in place to claim the franchise’s fourth championship this spring.
In his 16 games with the Avs thus far, Kadri has scored four goals and five assists for nine points, posting a plus/minus of -3 while averaging 17:48 of ice time. Overall, this year, he has appeared in 77 games, notching 16 goals and 34 assists for 50 points, marking the fifth consecutive season Kadri has reached the half-century mark.
The Avalanche (51-16-10) can clinch the Presidents’ Trophy on Thursday night with a win over the Flames, or if they get a point and the Carolina Hurricanes lose to the Chicago Blackhawks.