Nazem Kadri will not return for the Colorado Avalanche against St. Louis because of an upper-body injury, the team said. It was not immediately clear where the injury occurred.
The update matters because Kadri has become a useful middle-six center since coming back to Colorado at the trade deadline. In 15 games since his return, the 35-year-old has nine points and has helped the Avs tilt play in the right direction at five-on-five, where his corsi for rate has jumped to 55 percent from 52 percent in Calgary.
That shift has come with a different workload. Under Jared Bednar, Kadri is starting just under 52 percent of his shifts in the defensive zone, a sharp change from nearly 67 percent of his shifts on the attack as a Flame. For Colorado, that kind of matchup use can matter now and even more if the club goes on a deep run this spring.
Read Also: Nhl Standings update: Penguins, Bruins, Avalanche and others eye clinch night
The timing is awkward for the Avs, who were scheduled to host the Flames on Thursday after the St. Louis game. Kadri's absence removes one of the more familiar faces from the matchup, and it leaves Colorado waiting to see whether a short-term injury turns into a bigger concern as the schedule tightens.
