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Top Avalanche News
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Avalanche's Brandon Kozun: Suffers lower-body injury
Kozun missed practice Friday with a lower-body injury, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post reports.
Kozun is on a PTO with the Avalanche and the injury can't help his chances of receiving a contract. Kozun played 20 games with the Maple Leafs in 2014-15, the only NHL action in his career. He spent the last eight years playing in Europe, seven in the KHL and one season in the Swiss League.
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Avalanche's Bowen Byram: Misses practice Friday
Byram missed practice Friday with an illness, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post reports.
Byram is expected to be ready for the start of the NHL regular season in LA on Oct. 11. He had 10 goals and 24 points in only 42 games last season. The young defenseman is poised for a breakout campaign in 2023-24 -- Byram is capable of 45-50 points, if he can remain healthy.
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Avalanche's Spencer Smallman: Hits waivers Friday
Smallman was placed on waivers Friday, according to Peter Baugh of The Athletic.
The 27-year-old forward has yet to play a game in the NHL. Smallman had 13 goals and 26 points in 61 games with AHL Colorado in 2022-23.
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Avalanche's Keaton Middleton: Placed on waivers Friday
Middleton was placed on waivers Friday, Peter Baugh of The Athletic reports.
Middleton played three games with the Avalanche during the 2020-21 season. He spent last season with AHL Colorado, finding the back of the net three times while adding 20 assists in 72 contests.
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Avalanche's Tomas Tatar: Back at practice Friday
Tatar is at practice Friday after sorting out his immigration papers, Brennan Vogt of The-Rink.com reports.
Tatar has not practiced since playing Sunday. Tatar had 20 goals and 48 points in 82 games with the Devils last season. Look for similar numbers this season from the 32-year-old, who should hold down a middle-six role.
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Avalanche's Cale Makar: Practicing in regular jersey Friday
Makar (lower body) is practicing in a regular jersey Friday, Brennan Vogt of The-Rink.com reports.
This is huge news, as not only is this the first time that Makar has practiced in training camp, but he is doing it with no limitations. Makar is the early favorite to win the Norris Trophy and if he can remain healthy all season, he could get 90-100 points. He has missed at least five games in all four of his NHL campaigns, including 22 regular-season absences last year.
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Avalanche's Justus Annunen: Allows three goals Thursday
Annunen stopped 31 of 34 shots in Thursday's 4-2 preseason loss to the Wild.
As it stands now, Annunen is Colorado's backup goalie, as Pavel Francouz (groin) is unavailable and on injured reserve. It's unclear if Annunen, who has played four NHL games, will enter the regular season as the No. 2. A few factors are at play, including how much time the team expects Francouz to miss, what more established NHL veterans become available and how the young Finnish goalie performs during the preseason. Annunen has appeared in all three preseason games thus far, allowing five goals while facing 54 shots.
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Avalanche's Cale Makar: Injury revealed
Makar is recovering from a lower-body injury that has lingered all offseason, Peter Baugh of The Athletic reports.
Makar's injury was initially described as undisclosed. He's skated a few times during training camp but has yet to work with teammates. Colorado head coach Jared Bednar hasn't ruled out the possibility of the defenseman skating in a preseason game but doesn't view it as essential.
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Avalanche's Jason Polin: Returning Thursday
Polin (undisclosed) is in the lineup for Thursday's preseason game versus the Wild.
Polin missed time at the start of camp, but he's past that injury now. The 24-year-old winger could compete for a depth job with the Avalanche, but he's likely set to spend most of 2023-24 with AHL Colorado.
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Avalanche's Wyatt Aamodt: Playing Thursday
Aamodt (undisclosed) will play Thursday versus the Wild.
Aamodt was limited by an injury to begin camp. The 25-year-old blueliner is likely a long shot to make the NHL squad, so he should be expected to play with AHL Colorado in 2023-24.
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Avalanche's Callahan Burke: Placed on waivers Thursday
Burke was placed on waivers Thursday, according to CapFriendly.
Burke was attempting to make the Avalanche after signing a one-year, two-way contract in April. Burke played two games with the Avalanche in 2022-23, but he failed to hit the scoresheet. He had 16 goals and 39 points in 70 AHL games last season.
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Avalanche's Tomas Tatar: Away from team
Tatar did not practice Tuesday because he was away from the team to get immigration papers sorted out, Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now reports.
The Avalanche confirmed Tatar's absence was due to the immigration issue and not taking a puck off the hand during a preseason game Sunday. He is expected to back by Thursday, in time for Colorado's next preseason game.
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Avalanche's Cale Makar: Skating this week
Makar (undisclosed) skated on his own Tuesday for thesecond time this week, Colorado Hockey Now reports.
Makar then retreated to the perch above the arena to watch practice. Colorado head coach Jared Bednar said he does not need to see Makar in a preseason game but would like the star blueliner to knock off the rust prior to the regular season.
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Avalanche's Oskar Olausson: Tallies Monday
OIausson scored a goal on two shots in Monday's 3-2 preseason win over Vegas.
Olausson finished off a play with nifty stick handling before slipping the puck through the five-hole on Logan Thompson. The 21-year-old forward made an impression on head coach Jared Bednar. "The first thing I noticed when we got into main camp was the explosiveness," the coach said. "He's bigger, stronger, faster. He's a smart hockey player, obviously has some offensive upside, still coming into his game, but his explosiveness and his skating this year is much improved." Olausson, the No. 28 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, had 11 goals and nine assists over 63 games for AHL Colorado in 2022-23.
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Avalanche's Ryan Johansen: Tallies on power play
Johansen scored on the power play and had four shots on net in Monday's 3-2 preseason win over Vegas.
Johansen, working as the bumper on the power play, took a feed to score his first in a Colorado uniform. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now the bumper could be Johansen's landing spot this coming season. "He's patient with the puck," Bednar said. "He seems to always know where he's going to go with it before he gets it. That's what he did for Nashville too, so he's played in there, he's got experience in there. Good draw guy, so he can help the powerplay start in the offensive zone." The power-play unit had extended zone time before Johansen's marker, which was set up by two projected regulars: Bowen Byram fed Jonathan Drouin who found Johansen.
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Avalanche's Pavel Francouz: Surfaces on IR
Francouz (groin) was placed on injured reserve Thursday, per CBS.
Francouz is still recovering from the adductor procedure he underwent following the Avalanche's first-round playoff loss last year, and it sounds like his status for Colorado's first game of the season Oct. 11 versus LA could be in doubt. If Francouz is forced to miss time to begin the year, look for Justus Annunen to step in as Alexandar Georgiev's backup.
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Avalanche's Cale Makar: Due to skate
Makar (undisclosed) is scheduled to skate either Sunday or Monday, Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now reports.
Makar didn't start training camp for undisclosed reasons, but he's expected to begin skating at practice imminently. Given that return window, the earliest Makar could appear in a game would be Thursday's preseason matchup with Minnesota.
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Avalanche's Kurtis MacDermid: Focusing on forward
MacDermid has played exclusively at forward during the beginning of Colorado's training camp, Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now reports.
MacDermid has filled in at both forward and defense over his first two seasons with the Avalanche, but the plan is to use him at forward, where coach Jared Bednar feels the the team is thin. "If we want him in the lineup, I'd like to have him playing in the forward position," the coach said of MacDermid, adding that he'd like to evaluate other players for the blue line. Colorado added several forwards during the offseason, so MacDermid will have to fight for a roster spot.
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Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon: Rejoins team
MacKinnon rejoined teammates for the second session of Saturday's practice, Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now reports.
MacKinnon was away Friday in Halifax, where his junior team, the Mooseheads, retired his jersey. His return in time for practice suggests he may be available for Sunday's preseason opener against the Wild in Colorado.
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Avalanche's Riley Tufte: Slides to center
Tufte worked as the center on the second line during Friday's practice, Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now reports.
Ryan Johansen, who is pegged as the second-line center, moved to up the top line while Nathan MacKinnon was in Halifax, where the Mooseheads retired his jersey. Tufte lined up with Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin, and the 6-foot-6 forward didn't look out of place at his new position. Coach Jared Bednar acknowledged a hole down the middle and said he'll look at multiple options to play center in the bottom six. "If he has the ability to make a move into the center position, I'd like to experiment with it because I like him as a player," the coach said of Tufte, who has an opportunity to earn a larger role for the Avalanche after appearing in 10 NHL games with the Stars over the previous two seasons.
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2022 Team Statistical Rankings
| GF AVG | GA AVG | Power Play | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team |
3.29 (10th) |
2.68 (9th) |
24.5 (6th) |
Injuries
| Player | Injury |
|---|---|
| C. Makar D Cale Makar D | Lower Body |
| B. Byram D Bowen Byram D | Illness |
| G. Landeskog LW Gabriel Landeskog LW | Knee |
| P. Francouz G Pavel Francouz G | Groin |
| J. Manson D Josh Manson D | Lower Body |
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