The Colorado Avalanche are set to get a boost to their lineup tonight in Anaheim as they have activated defenseman Tyson Barrie and winger Rene Bourque off of injured reserve, reports Mike Chambers of the Denver Post (Twitter link).
Barrie missed the last four games due to a lingering lower body issue. He leads all Avalanche blueliners in scoring with 23 points (3-20-23), a mark that puts him third on the team overall. On the flip side, his -23 rating is tied with New Jersey defenseman Damon Severson for last in the league.
As for Bourque, he has made the most of his successful training camp tryout, scoring nine goals for the Avs this season which is tied for the third most on the team. He had missed the last three contests with a lower body injury and if he can stay healthy over the next month, he’s a potential candidate to be dealt given his low cap hit of $650K.
Other injury news and notes from around the league:
- While Pittsburgh center Evgeni Malkin won’t play tonight against the Predators, head coach Mike Sullivan told Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he is making “significant progress” from a leg injury that caused him to miss their last game before the All-Star break as well as the All-Star Game itself. There is no firm timetable for his return but the fact he skated before practice would suggest that Malkin, who sits third overall in NHL scoring with 54 points (22-32-54) in 47 games, is nearing a return.
- The Ducks will also have some reinforcements tonight against the Avalanche as they will have center Nate Thompson and right winger Jakob Silfverberg back in their lineup, notes Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register (Twitter link). Thompson has missed the entire season after tearing his Achilles’ tendon during the offseason although he got into three AHL games on a rehab stint last week. Silfverberg missed the last three contests with a head injury and is tied for fourth in team scoring this season.
- New Jersey blueliner Andy Greene is targeting Friday’s game against the Flames as a return date from his arm injury, writes Fire and Ice’s Andrew Gross. He took part in the full morning skate today but isn’t quite ready to suit up tonight. Greene has missed the last 11 games as a result of the injury. Gross adds that winger Beau Bennett (lower body) skated on his own the last two days while blueliner John Moore (concussion) has undergone testing the last couple of days but hopes to skate on his own as soon as tomorrow.
- Via the Canucks’ Twitter feed, right winger Jannik Hansen isn’t likely to play on Thursday against the Sharks but is getting closer to returning to the lineup. He has been out since late December after suffering a knee injury. Hansen hasn’t played a whole lot this season but has made an impact when he has been healthy, collecting nine points (5-4-9) in 18 games.