Avalanche superstar center Nathan McKinnon is out with a lower body injury, the team said Tuesday at the start of practice at the Family Sports Center.
JT Komper replaced McKinnon in the top row with wingers Gabe Landeskog and Mikko Rantenon.
McKinnon logged 20:40 and didn’t miss a turn in Saturday’s 4-2 loss at Columbus when his seven-game points streak ended. After missing the first two in the COVID protocol, he had produced a point or more in every game he played.
The AVS (4-5-1) next face the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. Colorado has top-pair defenseman Kale Makar and second-line winger Valery Nychushkin back from injuries against the Canucks. Makar (upper body) has missed the last two games and Nychushkin has missed nine since suffering a wrist injury in the season opener.
Rookie forward Alex Newhook is also back in the fold following his opening-night appearance with the AVS after playing 10 games with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. Newhook, who was recalled Tuesday morning, skated on one line with Tyson Jost and Logan O’Connor, and the other with the power-play unit.
Andre Burakovsky replaced McKinnon in the top power play. Surprisingly, rookie defenseman Bo Byram was out of the lineup in Tuesday’s practice. After serving as a top-pair blueliner and playing the No. 1 power play, he was paired with depth defense Curtis McDermid and was not part of any power play.
This story will be updated.
