Avalanche’s Nazem Kadri leaves game against Blues with upper-body injury
The Colorado Avalanche have gotten a major scare regarding their premier trade-deadline addition.
The team announced that center Nazem Kadri left Tuesday’s 3-1 win against the St. Louis Blues with an upper-body injury. He did not return.
Nazem Kadri (upper body) will not return to the game.
Kadri, 35, suffered the injury when he took a shot to the hand midway through the game.
Colorado acquired Kadri, along with a fourth-round draft pick, from the Calgary Flames at this season’s trade deadline in exchange for forwards Max Curran, Victor Olofsson, a 2028 first-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick. Since coming over in the deal, the veteran centerman has four goals and five assists for nine points in 15 games for the Avalanche. In 61 games this season with Calgary prior to the trade, Kadri put up 12 goals and 29 assists for 41 points.
This is Kadri’s second stint with Colorado, as he played three seasons with the Avalanche from 2019 until 2022, including a career-best campaign in 2021-22 in which he notched 28 goals and 59 assists for 87 points and helped Colorado win the Stanley Cup. That postseason, he contributed enormously with seven goals and eight assists for 15 points in 16 games.
The London, Ontario native has not returned to the playoffs since, having spent the last three seasons with the underachieving Flames. The Avalanche are hoping he can pick back up where he left off and be the near point-per-game playoff performer he was last time around. Of course, if this injury lingers and keeps him out for even a portion of the postseason, Colorado won’t be getting the return on their trade they were expecting.
The Avalanche clinched first place in the Central Division with Tuesday’s win. They’ll now set their sights on the Presidents’ Trophy, as they have a four point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes for the best total in the NHL.