CHICAGO — Jonathan Drouin‘s frustrating season has reached a new phase.
Drouin will miss the Colorado Avalanche’s game Wednesday night at United Center against the Chicago Blackhawks. It will be the 33rd game he’s missed this season.
Avs coach Jared Bednar said the team will go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen against the Blackhawks, and he hopes Drouin will be able to return Thursday night against the Minnesota Wild.
“It’s not an injury you need to manage,” Avs coach Jared Bednar told reporters after Drouin missed practice Tuesday in Denver. “When he’s good, he’s good. We’ll push through to break as best as we can. If he can play, he can play. If he can’t, he can’t. His injury, there’s no risk of it getting worse.”
Drouin has been dealing with an upper-body injury since leaving the Colorado Avalanche’s opening-night game in Las Vegas. Drouin has returned twice, and played well in both stints.
He missed five weeks after the original injury, returned for four games and then missed another five weeks. The 29-year-old wing has three goals and eight points in nine games, including the game-tying goal in the finals seconds of regulation of a crazy comeback win against Buffalo last week.
Trent Miner is also going to make his first career NHL start for the Avs against Chicago. Miner, 23, made his NHL debut Nov. 15 in relief of Justus Annunen.
Miner will be the sixth goaltender to start a game for Colorado this season. He’s here because Scott Wedgewood is out with an ankle/foot injury sustained New Year’s Eve against Winnipeg.
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