Foote ei pelaa ja Sakicinkin pelaaminen epävarmaa.
The Avs won the Stanley Cup partly on the strength of having three top-notch defensemen, but they lost one when Ray
Bourque retired over the summer. Now the Avs will be without Adam Foote until at least Nov. 1 because of recurring shoulder problems.
Foote had surgery in July to repair a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder and will miss at least the season's first month.
That was the bad news as the Avs prepared to open training camp in Stockholm, Sweden, on Monday, part of an 11-day stay there and in Helsinki, Finland.
Foote missed much of the final third of last season because of shoulder surgery after a hit from former teammate Owen Nolan. A rugged defender, Foote believes he suffered his latest injury in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals against New Jersey, but he continued to play. It was Foote's goal, in fact, that was a turning point in Colorado's 4-0 Game 6 victory over the Devils.
"It felt like a dead arm," Foote said. "It was just a jam from behind on the boards. I hope this will be the end of problems with it. I missed a lot of golf."
The defensive burden will fall heavily on the broad shoulders of Rob Blake to start the season. Blake probably will feel like he did during his time in Los Angeles, when he served as the Kings' workhorse defender.
Captain Joe Sakic also might not skate right away, as the team said he is nursing a slight groin pull. That's why he didn't skate with the Canadian Olympic team in Calgary.
