Avalanche Injury Report: Nazem Kadri Undergoes Right Thumb Surgery

The beleaguered Colorado Avalanche forward underwent thumb surgery after suffering a hit from Edmonton Oilers F Evander Kane. The forward was called for a 5 minute boarding penalty but Kadri was unable to return to the ice.

With the Avalanches most recent win, they have eliminated the Oilers in four games meaning Kadri can rest due to the Eastern Conference series still underway although his chances of playing in the Finals are murky at best.

Our panel of pro sports team docs with NHL experience believe there are two scenarios on what may occur. If the forward is dealing with a fracture he will miss the rest of the postseason but if the surgery is a ligament repair the forward has a chance to return midway through the Finals. By video, the forward appears to injure the right thumb which is not the dominant hand but the top hand when holding the stick, which is good news for the former Maple Leaf.

It is very difficult to tell through video when analyzing hockey injuries with the boards obstructing key camera angles. Regardless, the point producer will remain out of the lineup for the foreseeable future.

The Avalanche are odds on favorite to win the Stanley Cup at -210 at FanDuel Sportsbook but will miss the high scoring forward who was arguably their best player in regular season leading the team in scoring with 87 points as fellow star Nathan MacKinnon missed 17 games due to various issues.