The members of the long list of Avalanche walking wounded broke their team-imposed silence before Saturday’s season finale against the Chicago Blackhawks. When the game started, Colorado’s man games lost to injury grew to a team-record 495, with nine regulars out.
All-star defenseman Erik Johnson (knee) and teenage sensation Nathan MacKinnon (foot) led the list of those closing out the season on the injured list. The others were forwards Jamie McGinn (back), Patrick Bordeleau (leg), Jesse Winchester (head), Dennis Everberg (shoulder) and Borna Rendulic (leg) and defensemen Ryan Wilson (shoulder) and Brad Stuart (leg).
McGinn played just 19 games in the 82-game season, Wilson three, Bordeleau one and Winchester none. Johnson has been out since Jan 21, the last game before the all-star break. He underwent minor knee surgery Jan. 26.
“I’m very disappointed to not be able to come back after such a good first half of the year,” said Johnson, who had a career-high 12 goals in 47 games. “I was on pace for a career year, and it would have been nice to finish that out and see where it took me. But I know what I’m capable of now, and I know I have more room to grow and can take on more responsibilities. So in that regard, it was nice to really solidify myself as a top defenseman.”
Johnson has been skating the past two weeks and is close to 100 percent.
“I’ll be 100 percent ready to go for next year, (and) I’ll be hungry,” he said.
MacKinnon, 19, suffered a bruised bone in his foot Jan. 17 at Tampa Bay but played the next four games before a fracture was detected. He had five goals in those five games, but he finished with just 14 goals in 64 games.
“I could have played better (earlier in the season),” he said. “No excuse. But it’s a tough way to end. … We were on Cloud 9 last year, and this year brought us back down from reality. I think we can move forward from this.”
MacKinnon resumed skating Friday and also enters the offseason close to 100 percent. McGinn and Winchester still have health concerns. McGinn said he had a setback and stopped skating, and Winchester still has postconcussion symptoms.
Bordeleau was shut down for nine weeks with a fractured knee cap and his return to the ice was also aborted, because of lost leg strength.
“I’m pain-free on the knee. It’s just the strength is not there,” Bordeleau said. “My left leg is a monster compared to my right one. We tried to skate, and I felt good, no pain, but my stride was not good enough. So we backed off.”
Wilson is the only injured player not under contract for next season.
Mike Chambers: mchambers@denverpost.com or
