Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said his team’s disappointing season might be a “step backwards to jump further.”
Defenseman Erik Johnson — exactly 10 weeks out Monday from a knee surgery that was originally projected to cost him 3-8 weeks — practiced Monday but won’t play Tuesday against the visiting Nashville Predators. Avs coach Patrick Roy, when asked if EJ might return Thursday against Winnipeg or Saturday against Chicago, said he would be “very surprised.” Thus, EJ’s season is likely over. And with no chance of making the playoffs, it only makes sense.
The Avs will make EJ available Saturday, along with other injured players including Nathan MacKinnon, Jamie McGinn and Patrick Bordeleau.
. Bigras, the 2013 second-round (32nd overall) draftee, had his Ontario Hockey League season end Sunday. A more complete story on Bigras and 2013 D classmate Mason Geertsen will run in Tuesday’s paper and online.
Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog after Monday’s practice:
