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Nathan MacKinnon sidelined 6-8 weeks with fractured foot

Nathan MacKinnon sidelined 6-8 weeks with fractured foot

The Colorado Avalanche are nine points out of a wild card spot in the Western Conference. Playoff hopes are slim, and they took a big blow on Friday when the team announced Nathan MacKinnon is likely done for the year after fracturing his foot.

According to head coach Patrick Roy, via the Denver Post's Terry Frei, MacKinnon blocked shots in games against Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh that caused the fracture.

This is the second bone MacKinnon has broken this week after a hit from Sean Bergenheim Saturday night did some damage to his nose.

MacKinnon’s injury is just another thing the Avalanche would like to forget about this season. They’ll likely miss the postseason after getting in last year, and not having a consistent lineup certainly has played a part in an early start to the summer. According to ManGamesLost.com, Colorado is currently third in the NHL with 247 man-games lost to injury, which includes Semyon Varlamov and Erik Johnson missing chunks of time.

It’s also not been a season to remember for the 19-year old MacKinnon. After claiming the Calder Trophy in 2014, he finishes this season with 14 goals and 38 points, down from his 24-39-63 line from a year ago.

MacKinnon has also spent time in Roy’s doghouse this season. He played 1:38 in the third period during last weeks win over Dallas and has seen time on the Avalanche’s fourth line this season.

Depending on when MacKinnon is back to 100-percent, Team Canada could come calling if the timing is right with the World Championships, which kick off May 1 in the Czech Republic.

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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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