The Colorado Avalanche have positioned ahead Jonathan Drouin on injured reserve with an upper-body damage and recalled Chris Wagner. Drouin performed a hardy 21:25 of ice time in Colorado’s season opener and didn’t appear restricted, however hasn’t skated since.
Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar lately shared that Drouin could be reevaluated on Oct. 28, setting him as much as miss no less than 5 extra video games.
Colorado signed Drouin to a different one-year contract this summer time, awarding him a $1.675M increase over his earlier deal after he scored a career-high 56 factors final season. It was a much-needed breakout yr for Drouin, who discovered fast consolation enjoying subsequent to former Halifax Mooseheads teammate Nathan MacKinnon.
The duo contributed to a incredible 97-14-11 report over two years collectively in Halifax, capping off its tandem with the primary Memorial Cup win in Mooseheads historical past. That chemistry translated to Colorado, the place Drouin spent 940 minutes, or 65 p.c of his whole ice time, on the ice with MacKinnon.
Drouin was lined as much as proceed that top-line position this season, however in his absence, it’s as a substitute gone to Ross Colton. Colton’s taken full benefit of the expanded minutes, scoring 4 targets and 5 factors in his final 4 video games. In the meantime, Wagner will be a part of a crowded backside six, set to compete with Matthew Stienburg and Ivan Ivan for a fourth-line position.
Each Stienburg and Ivan are enjoying by means of the primary video games of their NHL careers, although neither has been notably inspiring — with Stienburg going scoreless by means of two video games and Ivan posting one help in 5 video games. Wagner hasn’t discovered a lot manufacturing of his personal, however does provide 375 video games of NHL expertise and served as Colorado’s de facto call-up final season.
He’ll look to return to his position of fourth-line glue man rapidly because the Avalanche look to buck a dismal 1-4-0 begin to the season.
