The Colorado Avalanche have another off day on Thursday before playing their next game on Friday night. The Avs will host the Nashville Predators in a Central Division matchup, looking to start a fresh home winning streak.
In the meantime, here’s a look at the latest edition of the Avalanche news.
Avalanche get positive injury update
In a fantastic injury update, the Avalanche have officially activated starting goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood off IR. That situation means he could be ready for the Avs’ next game against the Predators on Friday night.
The move comes at a great time. Trent Miner got back-to-back starts, with the last game against the Toronto Maple Leafs a start out of necessity. Scott Wedgewood is apparently dealing with something and needs a breather. So, getting Blackwood back will allow Wedgewood to get some more rest moving forward.
Trade rumors picking up
Trade rumors have begun to pick up as the clock ticks down to the next roster freeze. Said freeze will go into effect on February 4 ahead of the Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina. The Avalanche aren’t expected to be big players, at least not right now.
But pundits have linked New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton to Colorado. The move seems implausible as Hamilton’s $9 million cap hit all but dashes any possibilities the Avalanche may have of adding him.
Kiefer Sherwood is another name linked to the Avalanche. While his cap hit is much more manageable than Hamilton’s, the asking price is believed to be astronomical. So, it doesn’t make sense that the Avalanche would pay a high-end prospect and a first-round pick for a rental.
Still, the Avalanche could be making waves, most likely after the Olympic break. Injuries could determine what pieces the Avs might be looking to add.
Roster moves
The Avalanche made several roster moves this week beyond activating Blackwood. With Blackwood back in the fold, Trent Miner was sent back to the Colorado Eagles. Similarly, Zakhar Bardakov and Ivan Ivan went back to the AHL. The moves are mostly paper transactions as the Avs haven’t needed to keep Ivan and Bardakov on the team this week. Sending them down allows the Avs to reduce their overall keep hit and boost the amount accrued for deadline spending.
According to PuckPedia, the Avalanche could have around $9 million in deadline cap space. That’s not a bad amount, especially if the Avalanche need to add some depth pieces to bolster the bottom six or defensive depth.