The Colorado Avalanche are nearly at full strength. Three key players should be back in the lineup on Friday night against the Washington Capitals.
Let’s run things down:
First, Jonathan Drouin has been activated off IR. Drouin got hurt in the season opener and has not played since. His presence was missed on the top line. While Ross Colton briefly filled in (Colton got injured, too), a rotation of wingers has come and gone alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.
Second, Miles Wood has also been activated. Wood had originally been listed as day-to-day. However, that day-to-day injury turned more into week-to-week. But with Wood back, the bottom six should get a huge boost. Wood should return to his usual spot on the third line and his role as a penalty kill specialist.
Lastly, Valeri Nichushkin should suit up for the Avs. While Nichushkin wasn’t technically injured, his return from suspension should provide another significant boost. However, it’s unclear where Nichushkin will slide into the lineup.
As it stands, the Colorado Avalanche are nearly at full strength. Colton is still out with a broken foot while captain Gabe Landeskog reportedly suffered a setback in his rehab efforts. As such, there’s no timetable for his return this season, if ever.
This full lineup should be one of the toughest to beat in the NHL. With Drouin back in the fold, MacKinnon and Rantanen will have another scoring threat. Meanwhile, Wood stabilizes the bottom six. When adding Nichushkin to the mix, the Avs have a wildcard that could play up and down the lineup as needed.
Additionally, the return of Artturi Lehkonen was another major boost. Lehkonen will most likely slide down to the second line. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if coach Jared Bednar decides to place Lehkonen and Nichushkin with Casey Mittelstadt.
If I was an opposing coach, I would be heading for my stress tabs before playing the Avs. This loaded lineup will make it extremely difficult for opposing coaches to get favorable matchups.
Colorado Avalanche make additional roster moves
Drouin and Wood’s activations, plus Nichushkin’s return necessitated clearing cap space and roster spots. So, the Avs sent Ivan Ivan and Nikolai Kovalenko down to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles.
Meanwhile, Chris Wagner was placed on waivers. He too should head down to the Eagles. However, there could be a chance that some other team claims him. There is no indication that Wagner has been claimed at this time.
Additionally, Nikita Prishchepov and TJ Tynan were also sent down to the Eagles. While it’s sad to see some of these players head back to the AHL, there is a silver lining: The Colorado Eagles should now be one of the most talented AHL teams.