More brutal Avs news as Nichushkin gets surgery and will miss a month

The Colorado Avalanche can’t seem to get healthy.

Star forward Valeri Nichushkin, who’s already missed four games with a mysterious “lower-body injury,” recently underwent surgery. Head coach Jared Bednar announced the news on Tuesday after an optional practice.

Valeri Nichushkin will miss approximately one month because of ankle surgery

— Adrian Dater (@adater) November 8, 2022

Nichushkin, who signed a massive contract this offseason, was off to an excellent start. He scored seven goals in just seven games and had 12 points. Now, the Avs will be without him until at least December. He joins captain Gabriel Landeskog as a key player who went under the knife already for Colorado. Landeskog had knee surgery in October and is looking at a mid-January return.

The bad news didn’t stop there. Bednar announced that defenseman Bowen Byram is “week-to-week” with a LBI and fellow defense Samuel Girard is “day-to-day.” Forward Darren Helm also hasn’t played a game for the Avs this season.

With Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky departing in free agency, the Avalanche are missing a lot of firepower from the team that won the Stanley Cup just 4.5 months ago. But on a better note, Nichushkin and Landeskog should both be healthy for another playoff run as the Avs look to defend their title.

Colorado is 6-4-1 on the season and returns to the ice on Thursday night at Ball Arena against Nashville.

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