Avalanche news: Nazem Kadri dealt brutal update after Evander Kane hit

Colorado Avalanche star Nazem Kadri had surgery and will miss the rest of the playoffs after a dirty hit from Oilers' Evander Kane.

The Colorado Avalanche revealed Monday that Nazem Kadri has undergone surgery to repair his injured thumb following the Game 3 hit from Oilers' Evander Kane, which knocked Kadri out of the contest.

The 31-year-old was injured on his first shift of the game on Saturday after Kane hit him into the boards illegally. The thumb surgery is expected to keep Kadri out for the remainder of the playoffs, though the Avalanche refused to rule out the possibility of a potential return later on, per Darren Dreger.

Avalanche star, Nazem Kadri had surgery to repair an injured thumb sustained in the hit by Evander Kane early in game 3. Kadri is unlikely to be available for the remainder of the postseason, but isn’t being ruled out officially.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) June 6, 2022

While the Avs aren't officially ruling him out for the postseason, it's understood to be virtually a guarantee that Kadri will be unable to return during these playoffs. That's a devastating blow for the Avalanche, though it's not entirely unexpected.

Kane was issued a one-game suspension after the NHL Department of Player Safety deemed he illegally Boarded Kadri in Game 3. The Oilers forward will miss Game 4, which could very well be the final game of Edmonton's season considering they're facing a 3-0 deficit in the Western Conference Finals.

The controversial hit left Avalanche fans fuming, and they'll be even more riled up knowing that it very likely cost Kadri the rest of the playoffs and possibly the chance to take part in a Stanley Cup Finals with his teammates. Kadri, who is in his third season with the Avs, has never featured in the Stanley Cup Finals, so being forced to miss the rest of these playoffs will certainly sting.

Kadri had been on a tear for the Avs during the playoffs. Across 13 games, the 31-year-old had registered 14 points, with 6 goals and 8 assists to his name, including a second-round hat-trick against the St. Louis Blues. He was equally prolific during the regular season, registering 87 points across 71 games.