Absence of Nathan MacKinnon

Absence of Nathan MacKinnon expected

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar was gloomy about Nathan MacKinnon’s first-season withdrawal Monday against the Philadelphia Flyers.

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The pilot announced it was an upper-body injury and MacKinnon will miss “time,” but couldn’t give a timeline when he appeared on Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 on Tuesday. The forward accompanied his teammates to Denver after the game and will undergo tests to clarify the situation.

MacKinnon has eight goals and 34 points in 23 games this season. Your contribution will therefore be difficult to replace.

“He plays 25 minutes a night and in all situations. So we have to juggle [avec les effectifs], Bednar started. We have to do our best. We just have to keep digging and finding people to contribute. The boys have to give more. That will be a challenge.”

The Avalanche are not spared from injuries at the moment. Artturi Lehkonen, Jean-Luc Foudy, Valeri Nichushkin, Evan Rodrigues, Shane Bowers, Josh Manson, Bowen Byram and Kurtis MacDermid are all injured, while Gabriel Landeskog and Darren Helm are yet to start their seasons after undergoing surgery earlier this year.