Checking in with some injury news from around the NHL.
Another major injury for the Colorado Avalanche
Injuries have been a constant thorn for the Colorado Avalanche this season, and they have another one to deal with now as team captain Gabriel Landeskog will miss at least two weeks due to a lower-body injury. Pretty much all of the Avalanche’s top players this season have missed at least some time due to injury. That includes Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, Sam Girard, Devon Toews, Bowen Byram, Nazem Kadri, Valeri Nichushkin, and now Landeskog. All of them have missed multiple games, and some have missed as many as seven or eight games. Despite all of the injuries the Avalanche remain the best offensive team in the league by a significant margin, averaging more than 4.20 goals per game and scoring at least seven goals in six games this season (including three in a row this past week). Landeskog is the Avalanche’s second-leading scoring this season with nine goals, 18 assists, and 27 total points in 22 games.
Igor Shesterkin making progress for Rangers
Some good news for the Rangers as starting goalie Igor Shesterkin seems to be getting closer to making a return. He has been listed as day-to-day after suffering a scary looking lower-body injury a week ago and was back on the ice on Sunday ahead of their game against the Nashville Predators. He did not dress in Sunday’s game, but it is still a good sign. He has been one of the league’s best goalies this season and a huge part of the Rangers’ early season success. In his absence Alexandar Georgiev has played the bulk of the games and played some of his best hockey of the season.
Jordan Kyrou day-to-day for Blues
The St. Louis Blues are another team dealing with a significant injury list, and top scorer Jordan Kyrou was added to that on Saturday night following a hit from Nick Suzuki. He is currently listed as being day-to-day. Kyrou has been great for the Blues this season, already recording nine goals, 16 assists, and 25 total points in his first 23 games for what looks to be a breakout season. Making matters worse for the Blues: Brayden Schenn exited Sunday’s game with an injury and did not return.
Tyler Toffoli out eight weeks
Just a completely forgettable season for the Montreal Canadiens. Not only has the team been bad, but the injuries have certainly helped contribute to that. They found out this week that forward Tyler Toffoli is going to miss the next eight weeks after undergoing hand surgery. Toffoli was a major addition a year ago and played a big role in their Stanley Cup Final run, finishing as one of the league’s top goal scorers. His play has regressed a bit this season with just five goals and 12 assists (17 total points) in 26 games.
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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.
