The Colorado Avalanche were dealt an injury blow today when the team announced to reporters that A.J. Greer suffered a concussion and will be out indefinitely. Adrian Dater of BSN Denver had noticed Greer wasn’t at practice, and filled us in afterwards with the news. It’s not Greer’s first injury this training camp, as he’d previously dealt with a hand injury and lacerated lip.
While there is no timetable as of yet, it’s a tough way for Greer to start what was expected to be a big season for him. The 20-year old was penciled into the lineup after impressing at the minor league level and in a short call-up last year, and has all the talent to contribute right away. His size and nose for the net allowed him to score 15 goals last year as an AHL rookie, after leaving Boston University early the year prior.
The Avalanche aren’t expected to compete for the Stanley Cup this year, but players like Greer, J.T. Compher and Mikko Rantanen have things headed in the right direction. The youth of the team up front is impressive, and they could easily climb out of the very bottom of the standings should someone break out. We’ll keep an eye on whether Greer is able to bounce back from this concussion quickly, or whether it lingers and holds him out of the lineup long-term.