/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/5660973/20120224_ter_ab8_002.jpg)
Throughout the final month of the season, it seemed pretty clear that Steve Downie wasn't at full strength. This has now been confirmed by Adrian Dater of the Denver Post, who is reporting that Downie recently had injury on his troublesome shoulder:
The Avs confirmed that Downie underwent shoulder surgery to repair a separation in the joint, but that he his doing well in his rehab. The exact timetable of his rehab remains unclear, but it’s expected he would be ready to return by the start of training camp.
The injury, suffered March 3 against Pittsburgh, clearly affected Downie’s play. He missed the next game, at Minnesota, but decided to play on starting the one after that against the Wild. Though he posted three assists in that first game back, he managed only two points the rest of the way in 13 games – both assists. He did not score a goal in his final 14 games.
Despite the injury, Downie had a strong season for Colorado, scoring 14 goals and dishing out 27 assists.
Keep tabs on SB Nation Denver for the latest news. For more coverage, visit our Avalanche blog Mile High Hockey.