Avalanche News

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Devon Toews • D • Avalanche

Devon Toews to Miss at Least Two Weeks

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews (upper body) is expected to miss a minimum of two weeks. He was unavailable for a second straight game on Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Samuel Girard has replaced Toews on the first defensive pairing, with Ilya Solovyov slotting into the lineup on the third pairing. While Girard has yet to make a significant fantasy impact despite an expanded role, Solovyov produced an assist in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay. It was his first point in 11 appearances this season.

Yesterday

Gabriel Landeskog • LW • Avalanche

Gabriel Landeskog Out for Several Weeks

Colorado Avalanche winger Gabriel Landeskog (upper body) will be sidelined for several weeks. "He's going to miss some weeks," Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said on Tuesday. "I don't know exactly how long [he'll be out]; we'll have a better idea when we get back. We'll see how he's feeling, but he's going to miss some time." Landeskog suffered an upper-body injury on Sunday in a collision with the goalpost in a matchup against the Florida Panthers. In Landeskog's absence, Artturi Lehkonen was promoted to the top line in Tuesday's loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, while Victor Olofsson shifted up to the second line.

Yesterday

Devon Toews • D • Avalanche

Devon Toews Not Expected to Make Quick Return

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews (upper body) will miss "some time," Corey Masisak of The Denver Post reports. Due to an upper-body injury, the 31-year-old sat out his first game of the season on Sunday versus the Florida Panthers. Ilya Solovyov filled the gap in the lineup, though he was limited to 9:40 of ice time. Meanwhile, Samuel Girard saw action next to Cale Makar on the first defensive pairing. Girard will have more fantasy value as a skater on the first defensive pairing, but his production tends to be inconsistent.

3 days ago

Gabriel Landeskog • LW • Avalanche

Gabriel Landeskog to Miss "Some Time"

Colorado Avalanche winger Gabriel Landeskog (upper body) is expected to miss several games after sustaining an injury during Sunday's loss to the Florida Panthers. The Avalanche captain crashed into the goalpost and needed assistance to leave the ice. After the game, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said Landeskog is "going to miss some time for sure." So far, Landeskog has played in all 41 games this season, recording 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) and 60 hits. Taylor Makar could play regularly during Landeskog's absence, while Ross Colton or Victor Olofsson may step into a top-six role.

3 days ago

Devon Toews • D • Avalanche

Devon Toews Unavailable Sunday

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews (upper body) won't suit up for Sunday's clash against the Florida Panthers, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post reports. Toews missed some time in Saturday's win against the Carolina Hurricanes and will take an entire game off on Sunday. Up to this point, Toews had played in all 40 games for Colorado this season, contributing 13 points (one goal, 12 assists) and 58 blocks. Ilya Solovyov is set to fill in for Toews on Sunday; however, he holds no fantasy relevance.

4 days ago

Nathan MacKinnon • C • Avalanche

Nathan MacKinnon Takes Over Scoring Lead With Four-Point Effort

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon reclaimed the NHL scoring lead from Edmonton's Connor McDavid on Saturday night, notching four points in a 5-3 road win over the Carolina Hurricanes. He lit the lamp in a fourth consecutive outing and delivered three assists, picking up two points on the power play. After the Utah Mammoth held MacKinnon off the score sheet on Dec. 23, the Avalanche superstar has amassed 13 points (five goals, eight assists) over four games. For the second time this season, MacKinnon has posted four points in back-to-back games. The recent scoring surge has put MacKinnon on track for a monster 152-point year. He has collected 74 points (35 goals, 39 assists) in 40 outings.

4 days ago

Joel Kiviranta • LW • Avalanche

Joel Kiviranta Misses Road Trip

Colorado Avalanche left wing Joel Kiviranta (lower body) is not traveling with the team during a three-game road trip, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post reports. The Finnish veteran will miss a second consecutive game on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes. In 21 appearances this season, Kiviranta has recorded four points (one goal, three assists), 13 shots, and 30 hits. While he is an effective fourth-line grinder, Kiviranta doesn't provide any fantasy value. In his absence, Zakhar Bardakov will make a second straight appearance on Saturday. Bardakov is unlikely to contribute much, having tallied five points (one goal, four assists) in 26 games this season.

5 days ago

Gavin Brindley • RW • Avalanche

Gavin Brindley Out Saturday

Colorado Avalanche forward Gavin Brindley (lower body) won't be in the lineup on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post reports. The 21-year-old rookie sustained a lower-body injury on Wednesday versus the St. Louis Blues. Brindley has been quiet for most of the year, posting nine points (five goals, four assists) in 27 appearances. Taylor Makar will come into the lineup on Saturday, with Brindley joining Joel Kiviranta (lower body) on the sidelines. After three career NHL appearances, Makar is still looking for his first point.

5 days ago

Mackenzie Blackwood • G • Avalanche

Mackenzie Blackwood Placed on Injured Reserve

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (lower body) was placed on Injured Reserve, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post reports. Blackwood will be re-evaluated after the team's upcoming three-game road trip, which begins on Saturday with a clash against the Carolina Hurricanes. Colorado has recalled Trent Miner from the AHL to fill Blackwood's spot on the roster. Blackwood has been extraordinary for the Avalanche this season, posting a 13-1-1 record with a league-best 2.07 goals-against average. He is ranked second in the NHL with a save percentage of .924 and has notched two shutouts. While Miner could see action during this weekend's back-to-back, Scott Wedgewood is expected to get the bulk of the work until Blackwood returns.

5 days ago

Valeri Nichushkin • RW • Avalanche

Valeri Nichushkin Nets Second Career Hat Trick

Colorado Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin wrapped up 2025 with his second career hat trick in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the St. Louis Blues. Colorado burst out of the gate with four goals inside the opening 4:39 of action as Nichushkin and Nathan MacKinnon became only the second set of teammates in NHL history to each score multiple goals in the first five minutes of a game. MacKinnon ended the contest with four points (two goals, two assists). After missing a large chunk of November with a lower-body injury, Nichushkin came back with a vengeance in December, averaging a point per game across 14 outings. He had been held off the score sheet only once in the past nine games. Nichushkin begins 2026 sitting on 36 points (11 goals, 15 assists) through 31 appearances this season.

7 days ago

Gavin Brindley • RW • Avalanche

Gavin Brindley Sustains Upper-Body Injury

Colorado Avalanche forward Gavin Brindley (upper body) "tweaked something" in Wednesday's win over the St. Louis Blues, Bailey Curtis of DNVR Sports reports. Joel Kiviranta (lower body) was a late scratch on Wednesday, and Colorado's frontline suffered another injury in the game. The team will evaluate Brindley further on Thursday to determine the severity of his ailment. The 21-year-old rookie had his eighth consecutive outing without scoring on Wednesday. He did, however, see some success earlier in the campaign, notching nine points (five goals, four assists) in 27 games during the season.

7 days ago

Cale Makar • D • Avalanche

Cale Makar Has Three-Point Performance Against Wild

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar recorded his third game of the season with at least three points on Sunday, picking up a goal and two assists in an impressive 5-1 road win against the Minnesota Wild. Two of Makar's points, including his goal, came on the power play. Colorado has four more games to go in 2025, and Makar is attempting to become only the second player over the last 25 years to lead defensemen in scoring for two straight calendar years. This season, Makar leads the pack with 43 points (11 goals, 32 assists) in 35 games, putting him on track to join an exclusive list of defensemen with 100-point campaigns. Only six rearguards have achieved it, most recently Erik Karlsson in 2022-23.

Dec 22

Logan O'Connor • RW • Avalanche

Logan O'Connor Still Not Ready for Season Debut

Colorado Avalanche right wing Logan O'Connor (hip) is expected to remain out for at least 1-2 more weeks, Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now reports. After he had offseason hip surgery, O'Connor was close to making his season debut in November. Currently, he is dealing with a new issue. "His hips are good," Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told reporters on Friday. "It's just something that came up when he was getting back on the ice and something he's been dealing with and he wants to get it fixed and feel right before he gets back, understandable." O'Connor has had four consecutive 20-point campaigns as a bottom-six forward in Colorado. Meanwhile, Bednar had good news regarding another bottom-six piece, Joel Kiviranta (eye), who could play on Saturday against Nashville after making an early exit from Thursday's win over Florida. The Finnish forward is dealing with an eye issue.

Dec 13

Joel Kiviranta • LW • Avalanche

Joel Kiviranta Hurt in Thursday's Win

Colorado Avalanche left wing Joel Kiviranta (upper body) exited Thursday's 6-2 win over the Florida Panthers late in the first period. He was limited to only seven shifts due to an upper-body injury as the Avalanche flexed their muscles against the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told reporters after the game that Kiviranta's injury is "nothing too serious." Kiviranta has missed most of the campaign with a lower-body injury. He has registered two points (one goal, one assist) and 21 hits across 14 outings in a bottom-line role. If Kiviranta needs to take some time off to nurse his injury, Zakhar Bardakov would get a new opportunity to play.

Dec 12

Scott Wedgewood • G • Avalanche

Scott Wedgewood Hurt During Shootout

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood (head) was hurt during a shootout in Tuesday's matchup against the Nashville Predators. Wedgewood returned to action on Tuesday after missing three games with a back issue. He stopped 25 of 28 shots in the contest, which needed a shootout after a 3-3 tie. During the shootout, Wedgewood took a blow to the head during Nashville's second attempt. He remained in the game for the third round, but Mackenzie Blackwood was set to face Nashville's fourth shot after an NHL concussion spotter pulled Wedgewood. Ultimately, the fourth round wasn't needed, as Colorado couldn't score on its third attempt, giving the Predators a 4-3 victory in the game. While Blackwood made a very brief appearance on Tuesday, he will be in for a busy period if Wedgewood misses additional time.

Dec 10

Scott Wedgewood • G • Avalanche

Scott Wedgewood Back Between the Pipes Tuesday

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood (back) will start on Tuesday night against the Nashville Predators. He has been out of the lineup for three games due to a back issue. This season, Wedgewood ranks in the top four in all the main goalie categories. He has a 13-1-3 record, a 2.07 goals-against average, and a .920 save percentage. Over his last three starts, Wedgewood has allowed three total goals, recording his first shutout of the season against the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 23. On Tuesday night, Wedgewood faces the NHL's fourth-weakest offense, as Nashville is averaging only 2.61 goals per game.

Dec 10

Martin Necas • C • Avalanche

Martin Necas a Game-Time Call Tuesday

Colorado Avalanche right wing Martin Necas (illness) is a game-time call for Tuesday's contest against the Nashville Predators. He left the morning skate early due to illness. Necas has had a great time in Denver and is currently on pace for a massive 110-point campaign. In 29 outings, he has contributed 14 goals and 25 assists. Gavin Brindley (lower body) was activated from Injured Reserve on Tuesday and could be Necas' replacement in the lineup against Nashville. This is a very favorable fantasy matchup for Colorado's frontline, as the Predators allow the second-most goals in the league (3.50) and have the fifth-worst save percentage (.883).

Dec 10

Scott Wedgewood • G • Avalanche

Scott Wedgewood Skips Thursday's Game

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood (back) will not dress for Thursday's tilt against the New York Islanders. The veteran netminder exited Tuesday's win over the Vancouver Canucks early due to a back issue, and while Wedgewood is not expected to miss much time, he will have the night off on Thursday. Wedgewood's emergence has been one of the stories of the season in the NHL, as he currently holds a league-best 13-1-3 record. He has allowed 2.07 goals with a .920 save percentage and one shutout. Mackenzie Blackwood, who is 6-0-1 for the campaign, will get the start on Thursday, with Trent Miner providing backup.

Dec 4

Scott Wedgewood • G • Avalanche

Scott Wedgewood Exits Early With Back Problem

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood (back) exited Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second period. He was pulled from the game due to back tightness. Before his exit, Wedgewood stopped 10 of 11 shots. Mackenzie Blackwood replaced him in the crease and helped Colorado secure another victory. The two Avalanche goaltenders have had an even workload lately, and both have performed admirably. It has been a dream campaign for Wedgewood, who was initially brought in as a backup. He currently holds a league-best 13-1-3 record and has become a candidate for Canada's Olympic team. Wedgewood ranks third in the NHL with a 2.07 goals-against average and is also in the top three with his .920 save percentage. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar described Wedgewood's issue as "nothing serious," so he could see more action this week.

Dec 3

Valeri Nichushkin • RW • Avalanche

Valeri Nichushkin Available After Eight-Game Absence

Colorado Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin (lower body) will return from an eight-game absence on Tuesday against the Vancouver Canucks, Dan Murphy of Sportsnet reports. He is expected to join the second line and the first power-play unit. Nichushkin had a slow start to the season, but he has done a decent job overall for the Avalanche. In 17 appearances, Nichushkin has posted five goals and 12 points. One of his most recent outings was against the Canucks, and he finished the contest with two assists. Vancouver allows the second-most goals in the league and has the third-worst penalty kill, making this a dream matchup for the Avalanche forwards.

Dec 2

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