Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon out roughly three weeks with lower-body injury

As ESPN noted, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon was unable to practice Tuesday because of the unspecified lower-body injury he picked up in Saturday's loss at the Columbus Blue Jackets that dropped the Avalanche to 4-5-1 on the young season. 

MacKinnon's status for Thursday's game against the Vancouver Canucks wasn't known at that time, but the latest update reveals he'll miss more than just that contest. 

According to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post, Colorado coach Jared Bednar told reporters Wednesday that MacKinnon is set to be out for three weeks of action, "give or take," because of the setback. 

Per ESPN stats, MacKinnon leads the Avalanche with nine assists, and he is tied for the team lead with 10 total points in eight games. He was on the ice for 20:40 against Columbus, but his injury "didn’t feel the way he wanted it to feel" after that defeat, according to Bednar. 

MacKinnon missed the opening two games of the campaign because he tested positive for COVID-19. If he's out for three full weeks, he could be sidelined for at least eight future contests.