Avs' Toews to miss start of season after shoulder surgery

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews will miss an undetermined amount of time after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, head coach Jared Bednar announced Wednesday.

"He's going to miss some games at the start of the regular season. I don’t have an exact timetable for him ... been skating, feeling great," Bednar said, according to NHL.com's Rick Sadowski. "He won’t be cleared for full contact until some time in the near future."

Toews, 27, was one of Colorado's most effective defensemen in his first year with the club last season. He ranked first on the team in average time on ice (24:46) while racking up nine goals and 22 assists in 53 games.

Colorado's blue line is slightly thinner after losing Ryan Graves, Patrik Nemeth, and Conor Timmins during the offseason. Bednar added that defensemen Erik Johnson and Bowen Byram are healthy and ready to play.

The Avalanche acquired Toews from the New York Islanders prior to the 2020-21 campaign. In 169 career games, he's scored 20 goals and added 57 assists.