Dr. Harjas Grewal just weighed in on Nathan MacKinnon's health, and the Colorado Avalanche star could be staring at some time out.
The concern comes from a cross check by Ottawa Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub. No injury is listed for MacKinnon in the latest report, so this is an outside read for now.
Grewal wrote that MacKinnon took Zub's cross check onto his pelvis and that the worry would be a hip pointer.
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He added that it would likely mean day-to-day to a couple weeks out. That range is wide, and it is his opinion, not a diagnosis from the team.
MacKinnon, 31, is the first overall pick of the 2013 draft and has 30 points through 19 games this season. Ten of them are goals.
Zub has had a quieter year at the offensive end, with four assists in 12 games. He has no goals, a +6 rating and 12 penalty minutes.
Whatever the length of the absence, losing MacKinnon even for a handful of games would leave a real hole at the top of the Colorado lineup. This is a player who sits on 1172 career points, and there is no easy way to replace that.
How long could MacKinnon be out?
Grewal's answer covers everything from a night or two to a couple of weeks, which is what a hip pointer usually looks like when nobody has seen the player skate again. The real answer will come from how MacKinnon looks the next time the Colorado Avalanche practice and from what the team says.
If it lands at the long end, the power play takes a hit as well. MacKinnon has three power-play goals and five power-play assists this season, a big share of what Colorado does with the man advantage.
A cross check to that area is not a play you want to see on a franchise center, and the league will have its own view on whether the hit deserves a closer look. The Colorado Avalanche have not offered an update.
The next sign will be MacKinnon's name on an injury report, or its absence.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
How long will Nathan MacKinnon be sidelined?
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