Jonathan Drouin To Miss Next Two Games, Out With Upper-Body Injury

The Avalanche will be without Jonathan Drouin for at least the next two games according to head coach Jared Bednar. Drouin suffered a upper-body injury in Wednesday’s season-opening 8-4 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

The top-line winger was absent when the team took the ice at Family Sports on Friday for their first practice since the game. While all eight defensemen and both goalies were accounted for, the Avs skated with just 11 forwards.

Bednar wouldn’t commit to a call-up just yet, saying they might instead dress 11 and 7.

“He’ll miss the next few games and then we’ll reassess,” Bednar said. “He’ll get reevaluated and we’ll see where it goes.”

Drouin was hunched over in pain while skating to the bench late in the third period at T-Mobile Arena. The 28-year-old, who signed another one-year deal to remain with the Avs for a second season, also suffered an injury in the final regular season game of the 2023-24 season.

Colorado has one of the best winger groups in the NHL on paper. The only problem is, the majority of them are unavailable. Drouin joins Gabriel Landeskog (knee), Artturi Lehkonen (shoulder), and Valeri Nichushkin (suspended) as top-six wingers that the Avs are missing from the lineup.

Ross Colton was elevated to the wing on the second line, allowing Nikolai Kovalenko to get a chance in practice with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen in the Drouin spot.

Drouin instead watched practice while sitting on the balcony alongside Andrew Cogliano.

The Avs skated with these line combinations at practice ahead of Saturday’s home opener at Ball Arena against the Columbus Blue Jackets:

Kovalenko – MacKinnon – Rantanen
Colton – Mittelstadt – Ritchie
Wood – Kelly – O’Connor
Kiviranta – Ivan

Toews – Makar
Girard – Manson
de Haan – Malinski
Ludvig – Kylington

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