Avs' Barrie out 4-6 weeks with fractured hand

The Colorado Avalanche will be without defenseman Tyson Barrie for four-to-six weeks, head coach Jared Bednar revealed Wednesday, per Mike Chambers of the Denver Post.

Barrie suffered a fractured hand after blocking an Oliver Ekman-Larsson shot in the first period of a game on Dec. 23.

His absence will be a big blow to a team flirting with playoff contention. Through 34 games, Barrie recorded four goals and 27 assists, good for third in points among all Avalanche.