The Colorado Avalanche will be missing their top goal scorer, Ross Colton, for the next six to eight weeks due to a broken foot, as confirmed by coach Jared Bednar. Colton, who has scored eight goals this season, is a key player for the team and his absence will be felt on the ice.
In addition to Colton, the Avalanche will also be without forward Miles Wood for at least a week as he recovers from an upper-body injury. The team has been facing challenges this season, with a rocky start that included four consecutive losses where they allowed more than five goals in each game.
Despite the setbacks, the Avalanche managed to bounce back with five consecutive wins while averaging over four goals per game before their recent loss to the Blackhawks. Currently, with a record of 5-5, the Avalanche are trailing behind the Calgary Flames and the Seattle Kraken in the wild-card race.
While the team still has star players like Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen, the absence of Colton will impact their ability to generate secondary and tertiary goals. With other key players like Jonathan Drouin, Artturi Lehkonen, Gabriel Landeskog, and Valeri Nichushkin also dealing with injuries or suspensions, the Avalanche are facing a challenging period.
Drouin has only played one game this season due to an upper-body injury, Lehkonen is yet to play as he recovers from a shoulder injury, Landeskog is still rehabilitating from knee surgery, and Nichushkin remains under suspension in the NHL/NHL Players’ Association player assistance program.
The team will need to rely on their remaining players to step up in the absence of key contributors like Colton. The depth of the roster will be tested, and it will be crucial for the Avalanche to find ways to continue their success despite the challenges they are facing with multiple players sidelined.