Ryan Murray Close To Returning
- Avalanche defenseman Ryan Murray skated in a non-contact jersey on Monday and is getting close to returning to the lineup, mentions Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. The veteran has missed five straight games with an upper-body injury and his return would be a welcome one with there being no timetable for Bowen Byram’s return.
Darcy Kuemper Won't Miss Any Time Despite Leaving Monday's Game With Injury
- While Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper left Monday’s game against Minnesota with an injury, he isn’t expected to miss any time, mentions Mike Chambers of the Denver Post (Twitter link). He’ll serve as the backup goaltender tonight and is slated to start on Thursday in Los Angeles.
Upper-Body Injury For Ryan Murray
- Avalanche defenseman Ryan Murray left Friday’s victory over Arizona with an upper-body injury, notes Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. The oft-injured 28-year-old has struggled with Colorado this season, averaging just over 14 minutes per game in 21 contests. The expectation is that Kurtis MacDermid, who had been playing on the wing recently, will now go back to his natural position on the back end to take Murray’s place.
No Timetable For Bowen Byram's Return
There is no timeline for Avalanche defenseman Bowen Byram to return from his leave of absence, notes Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. The blueliner was a late scratch on Tuesday and Peter Baugh of The Athletic recently reported (Twitter link) that Byram doesn’t have another concussion but is dealing with symptoms that are likely related to the previous ones he has suffered that have gotten to the point where he didn’t feel he could play. The 21-year-old has been a key part of Colorado’s lineup when he has been healthy, logging just shy of 20 minutes a game while chipping in with 11 points in 18 contests. However, given his concussion history, it’s quite possible that Byram will be out for a while.
Gabriel Landeskog Enters COVID Protocol
The Colorado Avalanche will be without their captain tonight, as Gabriel Landeskog has tested positive for coronavirus and entered the league’s COVID protocols. Landeskog’s test was confirmed today, according to head coach Jared Bednar, meaning he’ll miss at least five days. The forward is asymptomatic at this point.
Colorado takes on the Seattle Kraken this evening after their thrilling comeback win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. The Avalanche are now 21-8-2 on the season despite starting the year 4-5-1. In fact, they are showing just why many considered them a Stanley Cup contender before the season began, routinely running up big goal numbers against every opponent. The Avalanche have scored at least four goals in 10 of their last 12 games, including 20 in their last four.
Without Landeskog, that becomes a little harder to maintain. The 29-year-old forward has been outstanding this season, scoring 14 goals and 35 points through 26 appearances. It wouldn’t be the first time he has scored at a point-per-game pace, but it’s easily the best offensive pace of his career to this point, one that already spans more than 700 games. For now, that number won’t grow any as he watches his teammates from a hotel room, isolating as he waits to test out of the protocol.
Peter Baugh of The Athletic notes that Jack Johnson and Valeri Nichushkin were both in regular sweaters at morning skate. Landeskog is currently the only Colorado player in the protocol.
Hunter Miska And Mikhail Maltsev Recalled To Taxi Squad
- Colorado has recalled goaltender Hunter Miska and winger Mikhail Maltsev to the taxi squad, per the AHL’s transactions log. Miska has struggled in limited AHL action this season with a .797 SV% in four appearances while Maltsev has 17 points in 23 games in the minors plus six appearances with the Avalanche.
Central Notes: Bjugstad, Olausson, Beagle
There’s bad news coming on the injury front for the Minnesota Wild. Head coach Dean Evason said today that forward Nick Bjugstad will be out “for a while” with an upper-body injury. Things certainly haven’t gone smoothly for Bjugstad in his second season with the Wild. In 28 games, he has just five points, and his defensive game has slipped from last year as well. Bjugstad’s entire career has been marred by injuries, and it’s always tough to see when the Minnesota native experiences another setback. Hopefully, he can recover by the end of the season to help out the Wild on a playoff push.
More notes from the Central Division today:
- There’s movement on the prospect front for the Colorado Avalanche, as 2021 first-round pick Oskar Olausson was moved in the OHL today, traded to the Oshawa Generals from the Barrie Colts. Olausson joins Bruins prospect Brett Harrison and Oilers prospect Ty Tullio in Oshawa, where they hope Olausson’s talent can add a punch to their team. Olausson had 25 points in 22 games with Barrie.
- Arizona Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong said today that forward Jay Beagle had lower-body surgery and could miss anywhere between eight weeks and the rest of the season. While a defensive center first and foremost, Beagle had just one point in 21 games with Arizona. He’s in the final year of his contract with a $3MM cap hit.
Ryan Murray Activated From Long-Term Injured Reserve
According to CapFriendly, the Colorado Avalanche activated defenseman Ryan Murray from long-term injured reserve today, moving him to the active roster.
Murray has been out of the Avalanche lineup since November 27, when he was sidelined with a lower-body injury. In 17 games this season prior to the injury, he had four assists, averaging 14:52 per game.
It’s Murray’s first season in Colorado, signing a one-year, $2MM contract in the offseason to join the team after a solid season in 2020-21 with New Jersey.
It seems like Murray’s never played a fully healthy season, but he’s getting a shot to return to the lineup now. With the recent return of Bowen Byram to the lineup, Colorado finally has full health on defense after a rash of injuries this year.
Darren Helm Enters COVID Protocol
The Colorado Avalanche had both their games this week postponed already, but that doesn’t mean the COVID testing has slowed down. Darren Helm is the latest to enter the protocol, where he’ll join Mikko Rantanen, Logan O’Connor, and Pavel Francouz. Nazem Kadri joined the team at practice today after exiting the protocol.
Helm, 34, has played in 27 games for the Avalanche this season after signing a one-year, $1MM contract in the offseason. The veteran forward has scored four goals and six points in those games while averaging fewer than 12 minutes a night. Still, when you’re already down several players due to COVID absences, quality depth is hard to come by.
The Avalanche are set to take on the Anaheim Ducks on January 2, a game that Helm would likely miss if he’s forced out with a positive test result. If he is showing any symptoms he’ll be held out for a minimum of ten days. If asymptomatic, two consecutive negative tests 24 hours apart could get him out of the protocol early.
NHL Postpones Three More Games
The NHL has announced three more postponements, including two that involve the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars. The following games will have to be rescheduled later in the season:
- Chicago Blackhawks @ Winnipeg Jets, December 29
- Dallas Stars @ Colorado Avalanche, December 29
- Colorado Avalanche @ Dallas Stars, December 31
There have now been 70 games postponed this season, most of them coming since December 13. As of now, the three other games scheduled for tomorrow are still on, though the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning both had players enter the COVID protocol earlier today.
For the Avalanche, Blackhawks, and Stars, this means they will not play again until the new year. Winnipeg still has a game scheduled on December 31 against the Calgary Flames. Not only did Chicago see Marc-Andre Fleury enter the protocol today, but also several members of the Rockford IceHogs, including part of the coaching staff. The rampant spread of positive cases in the AHL is having a huge effect on their NHL affiliates, who haven’t been able to recall enough healthy bodies at times this season.