Avalanche season went off the rails after Johnson injury

How badly have things gone for the Colorado Avalanche?

When the Denver club lost blue-liner Erik Johnson to a devastating leg injury on Dec. 3, the team held down a 9-13-1 record.

Four games under .500, but still salvageable, particularly with five months left on the season.

But in the ensuing weeks, the Avalanche have fallen hard without their top defenseman, posting a 7-26-2 showing in his absence. Colorado now sits dead last in the NHL.

It's no secret that the Avalanche have a problematic blue line, and with things going this poorly, it's understandable why general manager Joe Sakic is contemplating moving a star player like Matt Duchene or captain Gabriel Landeskog to reshape his back end.

As for Johnson, after suffering a broken fibula, he was expected to be on the shelf for six-to-eight weeks. He'll make his return to the lineup Saturday when the Avalanche take on the Buffalo Sabres.