Colorado Avalanche starter Philipp Grubauer suffers a lower body injury

Early in the third period Saturday night, Colorado Avalanche starting goalie Philipp Grubauer left the game after being run over by defender Ian Cole. After making a save on Los Angeles Kings forward Austin Wagner, Grubauer was slammed into by his teammate, a play that left him visibly shaken up. It wasn’t immediately known what the issue was, but after the game, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said that Grubauer had sustained a lower-body injury and that his status going forward is uncertain.

In his post game press conference, Bednar mentioned that there is the potential his number one goalie will miss some time, but he will have to be reevaluated in the next few days. Grubauer missed time earlier this season with a lower-body injury, leaving the team to rely on backup Pavel Francouz and AHL rookie Adam Werner.

We don’t know the extent of the injury, but if Grubauer’s status is uncertain, or if he is set to miss any significant time, Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic could look to the trade market to add a little depth to his team’s goaltending position. Francouz has been good this season - posting a .925 sv% - but it’s hard for a contending team like the Avalanche to rely on two rookies during the stretch run.

With the NHL trade deadline only a week away, Sakic might look to bring in a veteran rental like Ryan Miller or Aaron Dell to give a little more stability to the goaltending position.