Flames place forward Blake Coleman on injured reserve

A precautionary absence has turned into something bigger for Blake Coleman.

Coleman has not played since Jan. 8 against the Boston Bruins, a game that he left early. Afterward, head coach Ryan Huska said Coleman was “probably just a little bit sore and not anything we wanted to push at that time.”

However, he missed Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, and is now also set to be out for Tuesday’s visit to the Columbus Blue Jackets (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT) and Thursday’s trip to face the Chicago Blackhawks before he is eligible to return.

Coleman, 34, has 13 goals and 21 points in 44 games for the Flames this season.

He is in the fifth year of a six-year, $29.4-million contract, set to expire at the end of the 2026-27 season.

Through his 667-game career, he’s played for the Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning and New Jersey Devils.