Matt Stienburg has been suspended for two games, the NHL Player Safety Department announced on Thursday.

Stienburg was assessed a match penalty and a five-minute major for charging Erik Cernak of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday. He jumped into the hit and made contact with Cernak’s head along the boards.

Without the rookie forward available, the Avs, who are already missing a lot of bodies, will have to navigate the salary cap to find a way to call up another player. Bednar said Thursday that the team should be able to replace Stienburg but isn’t sure if they’ll have enough cap room to call up another forward in place of Oliver Kylington.

Colorado plays the Nashville Predators on the road on Saturday before hosting the Seattle Kraken at Ball Arena on Tuesday.

Colorado’s Matt Stienburg has been suspended for two games for charging Tampa Bay’s Erik Cernak. https://t.co/Fhj4yFtyIb

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) October 31, 2024