Nazem Kadri might tough it out, but it will be a challenge

Nazem Kadri is still ailing from his broken thumb he suffered from a dirty cross-check by Evander Kane. While he was out for Game 4 against the Edmonton Oilers and eventually received surgery for his thumb, he is eyeing a return to the ice before the season is over.

Coach Jared Bednar said yesterday morning that there may be a chance some of the injured players can be on the ice. This may include Kadri - even if it is in a non-contact sense. If he does skate, he will almost certainly be in a non-contact jersey. Regardless, it would something of superhuman sense to be able to come back.

We saw a similar superhuman act from the Colorado Avalanche’s most recent opponent. The two players involved in playing through the pain were Darnell Nurse and Leon Draisaitl. Nurse was playing on a torn hip flexor and struggled in the series because of it. It was also very obvious what was wrong with Draisaitl.

No. 29 on the Oilers had played the entire second and third round with a high-ankle sprain. It was noticeable all series long, as he couldn’t play as quick as he wanted, and was especially feeling uncomfortable in Game 4.

Will Kadri face that same fate and play through it but risk being a liability on ice and not perform to the best of his ability? It is possible to play with a very tightly-taped hand but it certainly wouldn’t be up to the same level as Kadri has all season long. It is really risky too if Kadri is hit hard into the boards with his hands out, or even receives a slash on his thumb - it could risk injuring it further and officially knocking him out for the Stanley Cup Final.

His team has faith in him, and the locker room knows how important he is. If he can compete, he will certainly give it a try. If not, the Avs know what they need to do and step up in his shoes. J.T. Compher has done a phenomenal job doing so before and after his injury. If he can keep up his pace, he will be a major secret weapon on the ice against one of the New York Rangers or the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Will Kadri be back for the Final? He’s going to have almost two weeks of rest and recovery with the Finals starting either June 15 or June 18 at Ball Arena. Let us know what you think in the poll and comments below!