Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon could return to action by Saturday, according to head coach Jared Bednar.

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Bored by an upper body injury, the striker would miss a 10th game on Tuesday night. However, if his presence against the Arizona Coyotes was ruled out, a participation in Thursday's duel against the Los Angeles Kings or Saturday's against the Toronto Maple Leafs seems more likely.

“We were supposed to see him again after the holiday break. He will continue to skate and hopefully between now and New Year's Day he will return to training. It might be ahead of schedule, but it seems to be knocking on the door, the pilot told NHL.com. I think every time you give Nate a deadline, he organizes himself to beat it. This guy wants to play and compete. It is built like this. This injury is not easy to overcome, but it does not surprise me to see him again sooner.

Touched during the Dec. 5 game against the Philadelphia Flyers, MacKinnon has 34 points in 23 games this season.