The Avs are the healthiest that they've been all season. Cale Makar just returned to the lineup after missing some time, Gabriel Landeskog, Artturi Lehkonen, Ross Colton, and Joel Kiviranta are all back and warmed up for a deep playoff push, both goaltenders — Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood — are ready, and Logan O'Connor, who returned to the lineup on May 24 after 10 months of missed games, is all set for Game One against the Los Angeles Kings. Despite this, however, some questions about injuries for Nazem Kadri and lingering issues for Josh Manson, Brock Nelson, and Devon Toews remain possible factors as the grueling march toward Lord Stanley's Cup commences in just a few days.
The Kings have a few notable injuries of their own, as do both the Minnesota Wild and the especially-banged-up Dallas Stars: two powerhouses who will, hopefully, tire each other out; the winner of that series will face the winner of the Avs versus Kings series. With that in mind, this article looks at the notable injuries for each of these four teams. Some are notable, some are not, but all will be factors that contribute to the outcome of both series.
Colorado Avalanche
Nazem Kadri
The last time Nazem Kadri hurt his hand in an Avs sweater, the team was just weeks away from claiming the 2022 Stanley Cup — the third in franchise history. Now, as the President's-Trophy-winning team looks toward the prospect of a fourth, Kadri is set to miss some time again; he is currently on the shelf with a finger injury, but he should be back at some point in the first round — if not before it even starts. He's been recovering for over a week (and the injury didn't require surgery), so he may be ready by the weekend and the commencement of the Western Conference Quarter Finals.
Probable: Josh Manson (upper body), Brock Nelson (undisclosed), Devon Toews (undisclosed)
Manson, Nelson, and Toews have been resting and recovering from injuries sustained throughout the year. Each player is hopeful for a return before the first round, as their recent missed action is likely more of a precaution than a necessity.
Also, Jared Bednar, who recently took a puck to the face (which resulted in a corneal abrasion and multiple facial fractures), is expected to resume his role as the bench boss for the Avs. Assistant coaches Nolan Pratt and Dave Hakstol have, by committee, filled Bednar's role since the injury was sustained on Saturday, April 11.
Los Angeles Kings
Kevin Fiala
Fiala was injured during the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics; he suffered multiple fractures in his lower left leg, and these required season-ending surgery. This was a worst-case scenario for NHL execs heading into the Olympics — the assumed risk of the players was a factor in the league's overall agreement to send NHL players back to the Olympics, and they ultimately accounted for this in the CBA. Fiala has been a productive player for the Kings since coming over from the Nashville Predators in the 2022 offseason. Before the Olympic break, he had recorded 40 points (18g, 22a) in 56 games while logging minutes on the left wing in the team's middle six.
Andrei Kuzmenko
Much like Fiala, Kuzmenko also sustained a lower-body injury that required surgery and ended his season prematurely. "Kuzie" came over from the Philadelphia Flyers via the Calgary Flames after his second trade in the 2025-26 season, and he's quietly established himself as a steady, dependable middle-six winger; his presence has been missed on a Kings team that barely snuck into playoff contention and now must square off against the Avs. Both the injuries to Fiala and Kuzmenko ultimately played a role in the Kings' ability and desire to trade for star forward Artemi Panerin.
Jeff Mallott
Mallott's 2025-26 season was cut short because of an undisclosed injury. The scrappy winger played in 58 games with the Kings, which far surpassed his career NHL games played totals (12) leading up to this season. He played almost exclusively on the team's fourth line; while his scoresheet contributions were sparing — and can easily be replaced by someone else in the lineup — his high energy and physicality are tailor-made for the playoffs, and the Kings will hope to have the option to utilize him in the upcoming series against the Avs.
Probable: Alex Turcotte
Turcotte, who was selected by the Kings with the fifth-overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, has yet to develop into a player worthy of the pedigree of a top-10 draft pick, but he's still only 25 years old. The bottom-six forward has begun skating again and may be ready in time for Game One in Denver, but it remains unclear if the undisclosed injury he has been battling will be manageable enough by this weekend.
Dallas Stars
Nathan Bastian
The Stars' roster is full of high-flying talent; while Bastian is a serviceable NHL player, his absence won't be nearly as impactful as that of some of his injured peers. Bastian is battling a hand injury of his own, and he's still a few weeks away from seeing any NHL ice time. Even if fully healthy, the depth winger might not dress in any games, but he'll need to finish his recovery before he can even try to crack a deep Stars' roster.
Miro Heiskanen
Heiskanen, who is inarguably one of the best active NHL defensemen without a Norris Trophy win to his name, has often been in Cale Makar's shadow, especially given that he was selected (3rd overall) with the pick just before Makar's own selection (4th overall) in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. The Espoo native is no slouch, though — he has made a home for himself in Dallas, and he's as eager as anyone to bring home his first piece of NHL hardware.
Roope Hintz
Hintz, who hasn't played since March 6 after sustaining an injury in a game against the Avs, is not set to be ready in time for the start of the NHL Playoffs. There are hopes that he will recover from the lower body injury in time to be a difference-maker in the Stars' series against the Wild, but it remains unclear when that will be and if he can perform at the same level he had been before the injury occurred. Stars' head coach Glen Gulutzan was asked about Hintz' status as the playoffs loom, and the team is preparing to possibly be without him until round two.
Tyler Seguin
The oft-injured 34-year-old veteran — who is still searching for his first Stanley Cup victory since his rookie season as a member of the Boston Bruins in 2011 — tore his ACL in early December; he will miss the entirety of the 2026 NHL Playoffs. He hopes to be ready to kick of the 2026-27 season as he enters into the last year of the eight-year 9.85mil AAV deal he signed back in 2019, but the compounded injuries his body has sustained may, unfortunately, necessitate an early-than-desired retirement.
Minnesota Wild
Zach Bogosian
Zach Bogosian, who is one of only two remaining NHL players to have played for the Atlanta Thrashers (with Evander Kane being the other), has played a physically-intensive style of hockey for eighteen seasons as an NHL. Understandably, the stocky rearguard has dealt with his fair share of injuries, including his most recent lower-body injury, which has kept him out of play for the last six games. Despite a career that spans nearly 1,000 regular season games, Bogosian doesn't have a wealth of NHL playoff experience, but he does possess a 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Championship, so the Wild are hoping he'll be an option as a veteran presence on the back end before the playoffs begin.
Quinn Hughes
As a perenial Norris Trophy candidate (and the only defenseman currently playing who can play at the same level as Cale Makar), a recently-traded franchise player, and a recent Olympic Gold Medal winner, Quinn Hughes has done a lot in his eight years as a professional hockey player. One thing that has eluded him so far, however, is a Stanley Cup victory --- a byproduct of the team he played for --- the Vancouver Canucks --- only qualifying for the playoffs twice in his seven full seasons there. The eldest Hughes brother is currently battling an illness, and there are concerns amongst the Wild's big brass that he may not be ready to go for Game One. He will be travelling with the team, though, so until he's officially ruled out (if that ends up being the case), he'll be preparing to play.
Probable: Joel Eriksson Ek (lower-body injury), Marcus Foligno (lower-body injury)
Both of these players are expected to be dressed for Game One against the Stars, but both of these players have faced numerous, disruptive injuries in their respective pasts, so the Wild's front office will want to be careful to not rush either player and risk any long-term damage.
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