Vladislav Kamenev To Undergo Surgery, May Be Out For The Season

Avalanche forward Vladislav Kamenev has suffered a shoulder injury that requires surgery, reports A.J. Haefele of BSN Denver (Twitter link).  He’s listed as out indefinitely but Haefele adds that the procedure could keep him out for the rest of the season.  The team announced (via Twitter) that winger A.J. Greer has been recalled to take Kamenev’s place on the roster.

The 22-year-old hasn’t had much good luck when it comes to injuries as of late.  Last season, he sustained a broken arm in his Colorado debut last season that cost him the better part of four months.  He then had a leg issue at the start of training camp that delayed the start of his campaign and resulted in him going to the AHL for a brief rehab stint.

This season, Kamenev has played in 23 games predominantly on Colorado’s fourth line, collecting two goals along with three assists while averaging 9:02 per night.  He’s slated to become a restricted free agent without arbitration rights this summer with a qualifying offer of just over $874K.

Even though he has missed most of his time since being acquired due to injuries, it’s likely that the Avs will tender him an offer this summer given how they valued him in the Matt Duchene trade last season.  However, if they feel he will need some more AHL time next season after missing this much time again, he would first have to clear waivers to make it back to the minors.