If there’s one position the Colorado Avalanche can’t afford to lose anyone at it’s on defense. Blue liner Jan Hejda was injured on Thursday night and now the team has sent him home for evaluation.
Mike Chambers of The Denver Post says the team sent Hejda back to Denver for further examination. He was hurt after he lost an edge and crashed into the boards.
Hejda is second only to Erik Johnson on the team with a plus-minus rating of plus-17 (Johnson is plus-18). His steady defensive play is a key reason why the Avalanche have had success this season as he leads the team in average time on ice playing more than 22 minutes per game.
If he’s out for an extended period of time, the Avalanche will have to find someone capable of playing strong defense. Nate Guenin played over 25 minutes in Colorado’s 3-2 win against Calgary last night and could be the guy that picks up Hejda’s slack.
Update (1:49 p.m. ET): Chambers reports Hejda out 10-14 days with a sprained knee.