Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson will be available to dress in game four of the team’s series against the Minnesota Wild tonight, head coach Jared Bednar told the media today. (via The Athletic’s Peter Baugh) Manson has been out since April 23 with an upper-body injury. He missed the final game of the Avalanche’s first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings, and has missed the first three contests against the Wild.
When he was last in the lineup, Manson skated on the left side of the team’s third pairing, partnering with veteran Brent Burns. In Manson’s absence, Nick Blankenburg has occupied that role. Swapping Blankenburg for Manson would be a significant change, since Blankenburg is a quick, undersized defenseman (he stands 5’9″, 177 pounds) while Manson is a 6’3″ 218-pound defensive force. Bednar said today that he believes Manson’s physicality and size will be a boon against a heavyweight Wild team, meaning the Avalanche are likely eager to put him back in their lineup as they chase a 3-1 series lead.
Other notes from Denver:
- Bednar also stated that injured forward Joel Kiviranta will be an option tonight, though it is less clear that he will be placed into the Avalanche lineup as quickly as Manson might be. Kiviranta has missed five games with an undisclosed injury, but before his absence, skated as Colorado’s fourth-line left winger. Kiviranta’s spot in the lineup – though not necessarily his exact role – has since been filled by veteran Ross Colton. Bednar and the Avalanche may be less eager to swap out Colton for Kiviranta, simply given the fact that Colton has a stronger track record in the NHL (he has crossed the 15-goal mark four times) and has more playoff experience. Colton has played in 69 Stanley Cup Playoff contests and is a Stanley Cup champion.
- Jack Ahcan appears to have been recalled from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reported today. Ahcan has been a spare blueliner for the club and someone who has shuttled between the Avalanche and AHL Eagles quite a bit this season. The Eagles begin a Pacific Division Final series against the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Wednesday night, so Ahcan may only be on the NHL roster on a brief basis.