(Denver) Already burdened by injuries, the Colorado Avalanche will have to make do without Quebec forward Jonathan Drouin, who has an upper body injury.
The former Montreal Canadiens forward is expected to miss at least two games before his condition is re-evaluated. The 29-year-old didn’t take a shot in more than 21 minutes of play in an 8-4 loss to the Golden Knights on Wednesday.
The absence of Drouin is added to that of Gabriel Landeskog (knee) and Artturi Lehkonen (shoulder). Another forward, Valeri Nichushkin, is serving a suspension that will be in effect until at least mid-November.
“Obviously, all the players missing, it makes the job more difficult,” said head coach Jared Bednar after Friday’s practice session ahead of the home opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. But it forces our team to immediately focus on the details and engagement in the game.
“We said it from the start: we must expect everyone on our team to be at the top of their game. It’s a bit of pressure from the start. »
The Avalanche also added a goaltender to their roster by claiming Kaapo Kahkonen on waivers from the Winnipeg Jets.
This decision comes after a difficult outing from Alexandar Georgiev, who allowed five goals on 16 shots against the Golden Knights. In relief, Justus Annunen gave up twice on four pitches.
The 28-year-old Kahkonen spent last season with the San Jose Sharks and New Jersey Devils, going 7-24-3. In his career, he has a record of 49-67-15, a goals against average of 3.33 and an efficiency percentage of .899.