Nazem Kadri could return sooner than expected for the Avs
Nazem Kadri missed the final game of the Avalanche, Oilers series after being hit by Evander Kane and sustaining what many suspect to be a broken thumb. Kadri had surgery to repair it the day after the incident and has been rehabbing since.
The Avalanche said at the time that Kadri would be out indefinitely but did not rule him out for the remainder of the playoffs. It would appear that was a smart move on their part. This morning, Avs Coach Jared Bednar confirmed that Kadri, along with Andrew Cogliano are officially listed as day-to-day meaning they will likely be returning at some point in the Cup Final.
Kadri returning will be dependent on how well he can hold a stick, shoot, pass and stick handle. My guess would be that Kadri will also be playing with some sort of brace on his hand so he will also have to be comfortable enough with the limitations the brace puts on his hand. Having Kadri back in the lineup will give the Avs a huge boost five on five and on the powerplay. Especially because it looks as though Brayden Point will be returning for Game 1 for the Lightning tonight. Having Kadri back will help Bednar match lines with more confidence and, of course, with Naz back in the lineup, the Avs will add some much needed secondary scoring, behind Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar and Gabriel Landeskog.
