The Avalanche defense just took a big hit

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The Avalanche got some bad news earlier today: veteran defenseman Ian Cole will be out indefinitely with what the team says is an upper-body injury.

Cole suffered the injury in a third-period fight with Washington’s Tom Wilson Thursday night. Cole clearly took the worst of the fight, absorbing several blows to the head.

The Avs are simply saying it’s an upper-body injury, so it would be faulty to just assume the injury is a concussion, but obviously, that would be the worry.

Ryan Graves was recalled by the Avs from the Colorado Eagles and was in the lineup for the game with the New York Islanders. Cole was challenged to the fight by Wilson after Cole was given a 5-minute major penalty for interference against Evgeny Kuznetsov.  Cole simply got the worst of the fight.

Cole hadn’t missed a game all season until today. Graves is the likely player to remain in the Avs lineup while he’s out.