Colorado Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy was told that Matt Duchene will miss approximately one week with an oblique injury, the Denver Post’s Adrian Dater reports.
“We will hope it’s not more than that, but (Duchene) said he would need about a week,” Roy said.
Dater believes that 2013 top pick Nathan MacKinnon will slide into a top-six role with Duchene on the shelf.
Seeing a bright prospect in a more positive role is the good side. The bad is that the Avalanche are already on a three-game losing streak without Duchene. What happens without the 22-year-old star?
Colorado’s schedule is brutal for the next couple weeks:
Tuesday: vs. Chicago
Thursday: at Phoenix
Nov. 23: at Los Angeles
Nov. 27: vs. St. Louis
Nov. 29-30: home-and-home against Minnesota
Even with Duchene, that’s a rough stretch. The Avs have to hope he can get back by Nov. 27 or so, then.
In other Colorado news, defenseman Tyson Barrie was recalled from the AHL. They can use all the help they can get.