Forward Valeri Nichushkin suffered a setback in his return from a lower-body injury and doesn't figure to be back in the Colorado Avalanche lineup anytime soon.
Colorado coach Jared Bednar described Nichushkin's status on Wednesday as “week-to-week.”
“Any time without Val is worrisome. Now we don’t have a solid timeline on his return,” Bednar said after the morning skate as the Avalanche prepared to host the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday night. “Whenever you have a setback, you kind of work backward, start from the ground up again, and start building back up.”
Nichushkin appeared close to a possible return as he practiced with the team Sunday. But he didn’t make it through the entire workout.
“It’s not fun. I’ve been there, too,” forward Mikko Rantanen said of dealing with injuries and setbacks. “You feel like you’re getting back and feeling better, and then something happens. So mentally, it’s probably the toughest part. The rehab, you're going to have to do it to get back, but mentally, it’s hard too. That’s what I remember from my experience. He’s a veteran guy, so he’ll be back, for sure.”
Nichushkin was suspended last May for at least six months and placed in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. It was an announcement that came in the middle of Colorado’s playoff run, marking the second straight postseason where the right winger was unavailable because of circumstances away from the ice.
The 29-year-old Nichushkin missed the opening 17 games. He made his season debut on Nov. 15 against Washington. He has 11 goals and six assists in 21 games.
Nichushkin, who hasn't played since New Year's Eve, is a big piece of the Avalanche's high-powered offense. Colorado is 209-74-27 with Nichushkin in the lineup.
“Everyone wants to be out there,” forward Logan O’Connor said. “You may try and push yourself a little quicker than you probably should and it can result in a setback. It's just the way it is. It's motivation to come back and help guys out, help the team out. It's unfortunate what happened to Val.”
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