The Colorado Avalanche and Jonathan Drouin just can’t catch a break. The 29-year-old striker is out every week with an upper body injury.

Head coach Jared Bednar said the issues Drouin was dealing with kept him out for five weeks.

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The Ste-Agathe, Quebec native returned on Nov. 15 and lost his first game back but won the next three. In the short time he was back in the squad, he scored two goals and provided two assists. He played on the best power play unit and averaged 20:40 minutes of ice time in the five games he played all season.

“Sometimes unfortunate things happen in hockey and sports, injuries but trying to fight without him. “He is a good player, but we have been in this situation before, so this is nothing new for us,” said Mikko Rantanen.

The team’s rotating lineup started this season without Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin. Drouin was injured in the first game of the season. Ross Colton broke his foot on October 28 and Miles Wood was injured in the same game.

Lehkonen sparked the team upon his return on November 5, winning four of the next five games. Nichushkin and Wood returned in the same game as Drouin – a 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals.

“I think with every experience you have, the next one comes, it’s easier to adapt and you know what to expect and what it’s going to be like. So for us it’s been like this the whole time I’ve been here – nine, ten years. I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s crazy, injuries and stuff. We’re losing guys – I don’t know if it’s bad luck, but hopefully you can stay healthy after he gets back and hopefully (Ross) Colton gets back soon too.”

The latest on Ross Colton’s return timeline

Colton is four weeks into his six- to eight-week schedule and skated for the first time on Wednesday.

“He had the exam yesterday morning. It looks good. He is making good progress. He is now able to skate easily on his own and then there will be a pain tolerance. And as you know with the lower body injury, conditioning is going to be a factor,” Bednar said. “Hopefully over the course of this week he can do more and more on the ice and then we can get him up to speed and hopefully by the time he gets cleared he’ll be good to go.”

Colton played up front with Nathan MacKinnon and Rantanen during Drouin’s absence, scoring nine points in 10 games. He is second on the team with four power play goals, one behind Rantanen.

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