Nathan MacKinnon exits Colorado Avalanche loss with injury

SUNRISE, Fla. — Colorado Avalanche All-Star Nathan MacKinnon left his club’s 4-0 loss to the Florida Panthers on Saturday night after his chin hit the ice during a headfirst fall in the third period.

MacKinnon fell behind the Panthers’ net before skating to the bench on his own. After taking a seat next to his teammates, he soon walked down the tunnel to Colorado’s locker room and did not return.

After the loss, Colorado coach Jared Bednar told reporters that MacKinnon left the bench so that the athletic training staff could tend to his chin, but had no further details. The Avalanche will next take on the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.

With or without MacKinnon, the Avalanche struggled on Saturday. Sergei Bobrovsky made 35 saves in his third shutout of the season, and the Panthers received goals from Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart, Eetu Luostarinen and Aleksander Barkov in the route.

Barkov scored his first goal since Dec. 16, snapping an 18-game drought. He notched 19 assists in that span, and then added two more on Saturday night.

MacKinnon, the league’s second-leading scorer with 85 points entering play Saturday, had one shot on net and two blocks in his 18:19 on the ice. He was held off the scoresheet for the third straight game after going pointless in just one game since Nov. 18.

Avalanche’s Valeri Nichushkin cleared to return to practice

The announcement of forward Valeri Nichushkin returning to practice with the Colorado Avalanche has brought smiles and good spirits throughout Denver. After being away from the team since mid-January receiving care through the Player Assistance Program, the 6-foot-4 winger’s return could now alter the course of the team’s actions at the March 8 trade deadline.

The Avalanche are currently in need of a second-line center to fill the void left by former Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri. The return of Nichushkin could allow the club to focus on players who may not require as many assets at the deadline to acquire.

With two of the top marquee center options Sean Monahan and Elias Lindolm already moved by their former clubs, this leaves the Avalanche with options like Scott Laughton or Morgan Frost from the Philadelphia Flyers, or Alexander Wennberg from the Seattle Kraken to satisfy their need should they look outside of the organization.

Laughton and Frost are currently holding down the first and second center positions for the Flyers and could look to make a move if a deal makes sense for them. Both Laughton ($3 million) and Frost ($2.1 million) are under team-friendly contracts and offer a lot of value for how little they are paid. However, with the team currently sitting in a playoff spot, GM Daniel Brière could opt to retain both players and bolster their lineup instead and push for a playoff berth.

The Kraken, on the other hand, are currently sitting outside of the playoff picture in the Western Conference and may opt to make a change. With a point percentage hovering around .500 in the standings, moving the 29-year-old who is in the final year of his three-year, $13.5 million contract could make sense for Seattle.

Time is dwindling for the Avalanche to make a move as the Central Division arms race continues to bolster ahead of the playoffs with Monahan now playing for the Winnipeg Jets and defenseman Chris Tanev headed to the Dallas Stars. The cash-strapped Avalanche will need to be creative in any deal they look to make.