Well, it was a nice run while it lasted.

The Avalanche took a quick look at the top of their lineup could While it won’t be this season, one consistent player is back in injury purgatory “week-to-week” in Jonathan Drouin with an upper-body injury after missing the club’s game in Tampa on Monday night.

Colorado has played just four games with its top-six forwards since the end of the 2023-24 regular season, and that’s not counting captain Gabe Landeskog, who was a top-six forward when he played in the Stanley Cup. was last healthy in the 2022 playoffs.

“It’s not ideal,” Avs forward Mikko Rantanen said. “It would be better if we had it at least 30 games in a row. But that’s not how it works sometimes. Unfortunate things happen.

“We will try to fight without (Drouin). He’s a good player, but we’ve been in this situation before so it’s nothing new for us.”

Drouin was injured in the season opener in Las Vegas. He missed 16 games with an upper-body injury, returned for four games and was sidelined again. Avs coach Jared Bednar confirmed that his absence is “part of what he’s struggled with before.”

When Drouin returned, the Avs also brought Valeri Nichushkin back from suspension, so the top-six forwards were all healthy. The Avs went 3-1 in those four games, including a 7-4 win in South Florida over the defending champions. This game seemed to be a stark reminder of how dangerous the Avalanche can be when healthy.

But the last two words of the previous sentence have done a lot of work in recent seasons.

“I think it’s something you have to deal with personally,” Bednar said when asked about the emotional toll of another serious injury. “We can help and have a quick chat about it, but if you’re worried about the guys leaving the squad then your focus isn’t in the right place. You have to know what you have to do and what your management has to do.

“If we’re constantly worried about who’s going to be in the lineup and who’s not, it’s going to be a long year.”

There was some good news on the injury front ahead of the Avs’ game against Vegas at Ball Arena on Wednesday. Ross Colton, who was an excellent addition as a top-six forward with eight goals in 10 games, skated before the team’s morning practice.

Colton hasn’t played since October 28 due to a broken foot. He is expected to be out for 6-8 weeks, so he remains on schedule. Whether he plays on the wing when he returns or becomes the No. 3 center again could depend on how quickly Drouin can return and whether there are any further injuries.

“I think that each experience you have makes it easier for you to adapt when the next one comes along,” Rantanen said. “For us, I’ve been here all the time for nine or ten years. I don’t know what’s going on, but the injuries are crazy. We’re losing guys. I don’t know if it’s bad luck. Hopefully we can stay healthy after (Drouin) comes back and hopefully Colton comes back soon. This will be good.”

Drouin’s absence will result in another NHL debut for the Avalanche. Chase Bradley, who signed with Colorado as an undrafted college free agent in July, will be added to the lineup against the Golden Knights.

Bradley has scored three goals and added one assist in 17 games for the Eagles this season.

“He’s been really good down there for about seven games, maybe longer,” Bednar said. “To be honest, we had a tough camp. At no point during the training camp did I give the impression that I was feeling well. He went there and started slow, but his game really stood out. Obviously we liked what we saw from him in college. We expect great things and suddenly he starts producing.

“…He’s strong on the boards. He has a great shot and can play a straight-line game, a big-body game.”