Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri will miss the remainder of the Western Conference Final series, and possibly longer. Despite the win in Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers, a crushing blow was dealt to the team. Nazem Kadri has been huge for the Avalanche all year, and his presence will be missed going forward.
Five minute major to Evander Kane for boarding Nazem Kadri pic.twitter.com/tmgyJzWrps
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) June 5, 2022
Colorado Forward Nazem Kadri Done For Series
In Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, the Colorado Avalanche saw forward Nazem Kadri exit with an injury. He was hurt during the early stages of the game when hit by Evander Kane. Kane was given a five-minute major for boarding on the play. The hit left Kadri shook, and even though he was able to skate on his own, he headed straight to the dressing room and did not return to the game.
Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar was most displeased with the hit. His post-game comments reassured that as he stated “The hit, it’s the most dangerous play in hockey.”
"The hit is the most dangerous play in hockey."
The Nazem Kadri injury, the Evander Kane explanation and the aftermath for the @Avalanche. #NHL https://t.co/CZ2FTj46sj
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) June 5, 2022
The officiating crew decided to rule it a five-minute major but did not remove Evander Kane from the game. Despite the big blow, Colorado prevailed and won the game 3-2.
How Does This Impact The Team
This is a big blow to the Colorado Avalanche. Despite being one of the deepest teams all season long, Nazem Kadri has been huge for them. Not only has he performed well in the playoffs, but also in the regular season. According to Stat Muse, In 71 games played, Kadri finished third in points and scored 28 goals, had 59 assists and a total of 87 points. In 13 games played this postseason, Kadri sits fourth in team scoring with 6. goals, 8 assists and 14 points. His 7 primary assists rank first on the team and so does his Corsi For Percentage at 69%. He’s been an anchor as the second-line center and has come up large at times for this team.
Nazem Kadri is not yet ruled out for the possible Stanley Cup Final, but to lose him the rest of the way is a big blow. The Avalanche will need someone to fill his shoes in production and how he plays the game. It is important to note that Kadri can play big minutes against some of the best offensive players on the other team and that could be a big loss for the team.
