This is good news for Colorado Avalanche fans, yes, but also for the one keeping a close eye on the Hart Trophy race as we are in the last few weeks of the regular season.
Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon skated Thursday with a regular jersey and was said to potentially return to the lineup on Friday after sustaining an upper-body injury Jan. 30.
MacKinnon's left shoulder appeared hurt and painful after a hit on Vancouver Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler in the second period of a 4-3 overtime loss, and Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Feb. 1 that his captain could miss up to four weeks with the injury.
Coach Bednar mentioned after the team's skate that MacKinnon would not be travelling with the team and play Friday, but he is surely getting closer to a return. He did manage to get some compact in practice.
“He’s getting close,” Bednar said last week. “Two weeks on Tuesday. Yeah, he’s getting close. We’ll take a look at him when we get back. We’ve been gone for a little but he’s been skating, he’s feeling better every day, so hoping he can get in shortly after that.”
So far this season, MacKinnon has recorded 24 goals and 37 assists, and is expected to get back in the race of point leaders as soon as he returns.
