Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon will not play vs. Sharks on Friday

Nathan MacKinnon would be slow to get up after this dangerous hit to the head from Joachim Blichfeld.

Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon will not be in the team's lineup against the San Jose Sharks on Friday due to an upper-body injury, the team announced.

MacKinnon was originally listed in the team's projected lineup earlier Friday, only days after being knocked out due to a hit to the head in a previous game against the Sharks.

The 25-year-old was unable to finish Wednesday's game after Sharks forward Joachim Blichfeld hit him in the neutral zone. Blichfeld was given a match penalty on the play and later suspended two games.

On Wednesday, head coach Jared Bednar was optimistic that MacKinnon had avoided any serious injury.

"He seems to be doing good. I think we got lucky on it," Bednar said, according to The Athletic's Peter Baugh. "...As of right now he seems to be fine."

Captain Gabriel Landeskog will play on Friday despite his wife giving birth to their second child on Thursday.

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