Head Coach Jared Bednar said during today's practice that Valeri Nichushkin is dealing with a lower-body injury and will miss some time; just how much is unknown.

His injury occurred late in the third period against the Anaheim Ducks, roughly around the 4:15 mark of the period. He has a well-documented history of lower-body injuries, so we hope it’s nothing too major that would cause him to miss a significant chunk of the season.

Joel Kiviranta also went down early in the season with a lower-body injury, precisely October 18, and has started to resume skating during today's practice as well. Although we can’t confirm it was a concussion since we don’t know exactly what both dealt with and the severity of each issue. However, we can make a rough estimate that if it is serious but not overly severe, Nichushkin could be out for roughly 3-4 weeks.

It's another injury the Avalanche have been dealt with, as Nichuskin’s play as of recently has really picked up. While his goal-scoring has been down to start the season, his playmaking has been excellent, with four assists over the last five games.

It's highly unlikely he plays tonight against the Buffalo Sabres, so someone from the Eagles will be called up tonight to fill out the roster unless the Avalanche decides to run 11 forward and seven defenseman. MacKenzie Blackwood is confirmed to start tonight as well.

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