The Avalanche will be without top winger Valeri Nichushkin for a month following ankle surgery, coach Jared Bednar announced on Tuesday.

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Nichushkin, who started the season with seven goals and 11 points in seven games, has missed the last four games — including both in Finland — with a lower-body injury. Bednar also said defenseman Bowen Byram is week to week and Samuel Girard is day to day, both with lower body injuries.

Byram was a late injury scratch in Saturday’s second leg of the Global Series. Through 10 games, the 21-year-old has two goals and five points while skating mostly alongside Josh Manson on Colorado’s second defense pair.

Girard has dressed in each of the Avs’ 11 games thus far, playing a season-high 23:19 on Saturday. He has recorded a goal and three assists.

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Aarif Deen is our Colorado Avalanche beat reporter. He covers Avs games live from Ball Arena and attends practices, media availabilities and other events pertaining to the Avs on the daily beat. He is also a co-host of Hockey Mountain High: Your go-to Avalanche Podcast. Deen joined Mile High Sports upon completing his bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in business administration from the University of Michigan – Dearborn. Before Mile High Sports, Deen worked as the assistant sports information director for the Michigan Wolverines Athletics Department.
Follow him on Twitter @runwriteAarif