Avalanche's Nazem Kadri undergoes thumb surgery, 'unlikely' for postseason return

Nazem Kadri had surgery to repair the broken thumb he sustained in a hit by Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane, and that Kadri is “unlikely to be available for the remainder of the postseason,” according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.

Dreger notes that while Avalanche won’t rule Kadri out officially, he is still not likely to be seen back on the ice for the rest of the team’s playoff run.

For the Avalanche, this comes as a major blow right when the team is on the cusp of reaching the Stanley Cup Final. The Avalanche hold a commanding 3-0 series lead in the Western Conference Final against the Oilers, and have thus far had little trouble getting to that point. The Avalanche have taken these playoffs by storm, losing only two games in their entire run so far. A big reason for that success has been Kadri, who has made a major impact on both ends of the ice. Kadri has 14 points in 13 playoff games and has also brought his trademark defense to the table.

This news comes as yet another major injury for the Avalanche, who have already lost Samuel Girard for the playoffs and have their current starting goalie, Darcy Kuemper, out with his own injury, although it is not believed to be a serious one. That hasn’t stopped the team from tearing through the Western Conference’s playoff field.

With that being said, the loss of what Kadri brings to the Avalanche lineup is still significant.