After taking a puck to the face Thursday night in the Colorado Avalanche’s game against the Nashville Predators, defenseman Nikita Zadorov has been listed as “week-to-week” after the blueliner underwent surgery to repair a broken jaw, according to ColoradoHockeyNow’s Adrian Dater.
Dater suggests it might be just a couple of weeks for the 6-foot-6 defenseman as he can eventually wear a mask and play through the injury. Regardless, it’s a big loss for a team that could use the 24-year-old’s size, although the blueliner has been scratched a few times already this season. Zadorov has appeared in 15 games this season, posting a goal, three points and 28 hits. He has broken the 200-hit barrier the previous two years, registering 278 in 2017-18 and 228 last season.
Bednar suggested that the team is still considering whether they intend to recall a defenseman to replace Zadorov in the meantime. The team does have six healthy defensemen, but adding a seventh makes the most sense with Conor Timmins and Calle Rosen as potential recalls.