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Avalanche, Adam Scheel Agree To Two-Way Deal

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The Avalanche are in agreement with goaltender Adam Scheel on a two-way deal for the remainder of the season, per PuckPedia. It carries the prorated league minimum of $775K as NHL salary and a $115K AHL salary. He’s waiver-exempt and was reassigned directly to AHL Colorado.

Scheel, 25, was on the Stars’ roster briefly in the 2021-22 campaign but hasn’t appeared in an NHL game. Dallas signed him as an undrafted free agent out of North Dakota in 2021, and he split time evenly between their AHL and ECHL affiliates before they non-tendered him in the 2023 offseason. Scheel has since played in the minors on AHL contracts since, spending last year as the starter for the then-independent Chicago Wolves. He recorded a promising .907 SV% in 42 games behind one of the league’s worst teams after spending nearly all of 2022-23 with the Stars’ ECHL affiliate in Idaho, but his performance didn’t yield any NHL interest.

He settled for an AHL contract again for 2024-25, this time with the Avalanche’s top minor-league affiliate. Much like his time in Dallas, he’s split time evenly between AHL Colorado and ECHL Utah this season. Unlike in past years, though, his AHL numbers are more impressive than his ECHL ones. Now part of a three-goalie rotation in the AHL for the Avs with Kevin Mandolese and Trent Miner, he has a 2.61 GAA, .911 SV%, and an 8-1-2 record in 11 outings with a pair of shutouts. He’s nothing more than another injury insurance/recall option for the Avs down the stretch, adding to the inexperienced aforementioned duo of Mandolese and Miner. He’s slated for Group VI unrestricted free agency this summer.

Trade Deadline Notes: Nelson, Boeser, Panthers

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The Trade Deadline has appeared over the horizon and teams like the Colorado Avalanche are already doing what they can to get out ahead of the pack. They acquired forward Jimmy Vesey and defenseman Ryan Lindgren from the New York Rangers this weekend, and could still be attached to some of the market’s top names. That includes New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson per The Fourth Period, who adds Nelson could be the cheap acquisition Colorado needs to bolster their top-six.

Nelson, 33, is in the sunset years of his career but he’s still managing to produce. He has 19 goals and 41 points in 60 games this season, just one point behind Anders Lee and Bo Horvat for the team-lead in scoring. Nelson also earned a nod from USA Hockey by making this year’s 4-Nations Face-Off roster, where he played in four games but didn’t manage any scoring.

Nelson scored 36 goals and a career-high 75 points in 2022-23, and followed it with 34 goals and 69 points last season. He may be beginning to slow down but his offense could be spurred once again with a move away from the Isalnders – the only NHL team Nelson has ever played for. Because of that exclusivity, New York will certainly need a convincing offer to part ways with one of their top scorers. Nelson also has a 16-team no-trade clause on his contract, which is set to expire this summer. That could help him dictate where he ends up – though the 2022 Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche would certainly be a fine landing spot as the vet chases his first Cup win.

Other notes swirling around the Trade Deadline:

  • Recent reports have pointed towards an impasse forming between the Vancouver Canucks and Brock Boeser after the winger declined a five-year, $40MM contract extension. Now it seems the wedge could be driven in further, with TSN’s Darren Dreger sharing that the extension offer has been rescinded and that the team is exploring all options. Boeser is struggling to follow-up after scoring a career-high 40 goals last season – but he’s still performing at a higher level than in his early career. He has 18 goals and 36 points in 53 games this season, putting him on pace for 28 goals and 56 points on the year. That’s helped along by Boeser’s 17.3 shoting percentage this season – a step down from his 19.6 percent last year but still far above his career average of 14 percent. A high shooting percentage could be inflating Boeser’s numbers, or he could have finally found the goal-scoring groove he was looking for. With offers no longer on the table, it seems that answer will be found by a deadline buyer in need of shooting talent. Boeser has a modified no-trade clause that allows him to exempt 10 teams. His deal expires this summer.
  • The Florida Panthers helped break the market open with their swap of top goalie prospect Spencer Knight for top defenseman Seth Jones. That move pushed Florida right up against the wall of the salary cap – but they’ve opened up more breathing room by placing star Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve. Florida is now projected to have $8.71MM in cap space on deadline day, per PuckPedia, and they’re expected to use it. Chris Johnston of The Athletic shared that Panthers general manager Bill Zito has proven ambitious in years past, and could see a chance to bolster his lineup a bit further. The Panthers have made the Stanley Cup Finals in each of the last two seasons, and took away hardware last year. They’ll have their sights fully trained on repeating the feat this year – and a boost to their depth offense or a new backup goaltender would go far towards solidifying their chances.

Avalanche Acquire Ryan Lindgren And Jimmy Vesey From Rangers

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With less than a week left before the trade deadline, the Avalanche have added some extra depth on the back end and up front.  In a deal that has been announced by both teams, Colorado is acquiring defenseman Ryan Lindgren, winger Jimmy Vesey, and the rights to unsigned prospect Hank Kempf from the Rangers in exchange for forward Juuso Parssinen, defenseman Calvin de Haan, and two draft picks.  The picks are the better of Carolina’s or New York’s (previously-acquired) second-round pick this year and the better of Colorado’s or Vancouver’s fourth-round selection this season.

Lindgren has been a mainstay on New York’s back end for the last six seasons.  However, his tenure with them has always seemed to be on uncertain footing.  He wound up taking a three-year bridge deal back in 2021 with the expectation that he’d sign a longer-term pact after that.  Instead, he found himself in trade speculation at times during that contract and the two sides were only able to work out a one-year, $4.5MM contract last summer, one that avoided salary arbitration but also set Lindgren up to reach unrestricted free agency this summer.  Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports (Twitter link) that the Rangers will retain half of that contract as part of the swap.

The 27-year-old has never been a big point producer in the NHL as he has yet to reach the 20-point mark in a single season although with 19 points in 54 games this season, he’s likely to do just that in the coming days.  However, Lindgren has been a steady and reliable defensive defender for most of his career, logging heavy minutes on the penalty kill and consistently being among the Rangers’ leaders in blocked shots.  This season, he’s second on New York in blocked shots with 102 while leading the team in shorthanded TOI at 2:42 per game.

That penalty killing prowess will fit in well on a Colorado shorthanded unit that’s barely above the league average in success rate at 79.8% while also giving them a solid replacement for the injured Josh Manson.  Lindgren should slot in as the fourth defender on the Avs’ depth chart for the time being while when Manson returns, one of the two should help anchor the third pairing which would be a nice boost to that pairing heading into the playoffs.

As for Vesey, the 31-year-old was in the third season of his second go-round in New York.  The first two seasons of that second stint were successful as he notched 24 goals and 51 points over the two years, giving the Rangers some solid, low-cost secondary scoring.  But things haven’t gone as well this season.  He has been frequently scratched and has just six points in 31 games when he has suited up.  Nonetheless, Colorado has been looking for some stability on the fourth line pretty much all season long and Vesey should be able to lock down a regular role on that trio while giving it some experience as he’s suited up in over 600 games at the NHL level.  He’s also a pending unrestricted free agent this summer, carrying a $800K cap charge.

Kempf, meanwhile, was a seventh-round pick by the Rangers back in 2021, going 208th overall.  The blueliner is in his senior year at Cornell University and has two goals and five assists in 28 games this season.  Colorado will need to sign him to an entry-level deal by mid-August or lose his rights.

Parssinen is the more notable player heading to the Rangers in this swap.  It will be the third team for him this season as Colorado only acquired him from Nashville back in late December.  But while the 24-year-old was able to hold down a regular role with the Avs (after being scratched at times with the Predators), he wasn’t overly productive with just six points in 22 games while logging less than 10 minutes a night of ice time.  When added to his numbers with the Preds, Parssinen has four goals and seven assists in 37 appearances this season.

Parssinen made an immediate strong impression when he first debuted in the NHL back in 2022-23, notching an impressive 25 points in 45 games in Nashville but he hasn’t been able to get back to that level of performance since then.  He’ll now get another fresh start in New York who can control him through the 2027-28 season through restricted free agency with salary arbitration rights.  Parssinen is making the league minimum of $775K this season and will be owed a qualifying offer of nearly $814K in late June.

As for de Haan, the 33-year-old was in his first season with Colorado after signing a one-year, $800K contract with them early in free agency last summer.  He has largely played on the third pairing this year, logging just under 15 minutes a night of playing time while chipping in with seven assists, 58 blocks, and 59 hits in 44 appearances.  A pending UFA, the 676-game veteran is likely to have a similar role in New York but also could be a candidate to be flipped again if there’s a team looking for extra defensive depth before Friday’s trade deadline.

The Rangers enter play today four points out of the final Wild Card spot.  While that’s hardly an insurmountable gap, they’re also not in a spot to potentially lose rental players for no return.  With this move, they pick up a pair of draft picks and will get a look to see if Parssinen can return to his form from a couple of years ago which could make him a piece worth keeping around for a while.  Meanwhile, Lindgren is a nice pickup for the Avs even with his struggles this season as he should be able to help stabilize the back half of their back end which should only help their fortunes heading into the playoffs.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report (Twitter links) the four players in the deal while Peter Baugh of The Athletic was first with the draft pick details.

Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.

Avalanche Activate Valeri Nichushkin From Injured Reserve

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Feb. 26: Colorado has confirmed yesterday’s news, announcing they’ve activated Nichushkin from the injured reserve. Bednar confirmed after today’s morning skate that Nichushkin would be in the lineup tonight.

Feb. 25: The Avalanche are tracking to activate Valeri Nichushkin from injured reserve before tomorrow’s game against the Devils. Head coach Jared Bednar told Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports that the winger will be an “option” for the contest after missing nearly two months with a lower-body injury. They have an open roster spot and won’t need to make a corresponding transaction.

Nichushkin is coming off his second lengthy absence of the season, although only this one was injury-related. He missed the first 17 games of the campaign while serving the tail end of his automatic six-month suspension for entering Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program during the 2024 postseason.

The soon-to-be 30-year-old Russian remained a top-line threat in his short stint in the lineup between suspension and injury. He made 21 appearances, lighting the lamp 11 times while adding six assists for 17 points while averaging nearly 20 minutes per game. He wasn’t as physically involved as usual, averaging under a hit per game, but that’s to be expected for a player getting off to a late start.

An injury against the Jets on New Year’s Eve sidelined that momentum. He was initially ruled day-to-day but sustained multiple setbacks in his recovery, delaying his return to the lineup until after the 4 Nations break. His return couldn’t come at a better time for the Avs, who are now trapped in a wild-card spot after a 9-9-2 run in their last 20. They still have an 87.9% of making the postseason but have just a 27.5% chance of claiming a divisional berth in the Central, per MoneyPuck. They have a 44.8% chance of remaining in their current standing as the first wild card at season’s end.

Nichushkin adds another dynamic offensive weapon for Nathan MacKinnon’s wing. Martin Nečas has been good since being acquired from the Hurricanes in the Mikko Rantanen blockbuster, but with nine points in 10 games, he hasn’t been as explosive as the latter was for the Avs. They’ve gotten admirable performances from depth pieces like Jonathan Drouin (23 points in 26 games), but injuries have been a major concern for him too. In fact, save for captain Gabriel Landeskog, tomorrow’s contest will be Colorado’s first with a fully healthy forward group this season.

Nichushkin has scored at a 36-goal, 75-point pace per 82 games since signing his eight-year, $49MM extension in Colorado following their Stanley Cup win in 2022. He’s only played in 128 of 223 possible regular-season games during that time, though – just 57.4% of the Avs’ schedule. Ankle surgery was the culprit in 2022-23, while multiple stints in the PAP were to blame for his lack of availability last season.

Valeri Nichushkin, Josh Manson Not Expected To Join Team On Road Trip

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  • Neither forward Valeri Nichushkin nor defenseman Josh Manson are expected to join the Colorado Avalanche on their upcoming road trip. In an interview with Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette, head coach Jared Bednar said, “He’s not coming on the (road) trip. Him and (Josh Manson) will both be here getting some work done.” The news is expected for Manson as he’s been dealing with a lower-body injury for much of the regular season. However, the news can’t be seen as anything other than disappointing for Nichushkin who hasn’t suited up since New Year’s Eve despite practicing multiple times.

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Minor Transactions: 2/18/25

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The transaction wire is active again today, with many teams hosting their first practices in over a week. The regular season schedule after the 4 Nations Face-Off resumes this weekend, so the players who teams reassigned to the minors over the break to continue playing will be added back to rosters today and tomorrow to make them eligible to practice with their NHL teammates. Here are all of today’s moves that largely constituted reversals of pre-break demotions.

  • The Hurricanes announced they’ve promoted defenseman Riley Stillman from AHL Chicago. While he’d been off the roster for a few days already prior to the break, he’s been a frequent traveler between Carolina and Chicago this season. He was last rostered for a game on Jan. 28 against the Rangers – his season debut, in which he recorded a fight and a shot on goal in 7:40 of ice time. A routine healthy scratch/extra defenseman, Stillman is close to requiring waivers again to head to the minors after clearing them in November. The 26-year-old has 2-3–5 with 41 PIMs and a minus-three rating in 20 AHL contests this year.
  • The Stars announced they’ve recalled defenseman Lian Bichsel from AHL Texas. He was quietly shuttled down on Feb. 8 after making eight straight appearances for Dallas leading into the break. The 2022 first-rounder has 2-3–5 and a plus-six rating through his first 16 career NHL games, all coming this season, and will continue in a regular role for the time being with Miro Heiskanen and Nils Lundkvist on the shelf.
  • The Canucks announced they’ve promoted all of center Nils Åman, forward Arshdeep Bains, and defenseman Elias Pettersson from AHL Abbotsford. They also added goalie Arturs Silovs from the Baby Canucks on an emergency loan and will have Nikita Tolopilo around as a practice goaltender until Kevin Lankinen is ready to return from representing Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off, although the latter won’t take up a roster spot. Åman and Pettersson were sent to Abbotsford on Feb. 8, but this is Bains’ first recall since late November. The 24-year-old winger had one goal and a minus-four rating in 11 games earlier this season but has remained a near point-per-game threat in the minors, posting 7-20–27 in 32 AHL games. He’ll now get another crack at NHL minutes in the final season of his entry-level contract. Silovs, who’s struggled to the tune of a 1-4-1 record and .847 SV% in seven NHL appearances this season, will come up to serve as Lankinen’s No. 2 with Thatcher Demko still dealing with the undisclosed injury that caused him to leave Vancouver’s last pre-break game against the Maple Leafs. Tolopilo’s stay will be brief, and the 24-year-old will return to Abbotsford as soon as Lankinen is available.
  • The Penguins called up winger Emil Bemström and goalie Joel Blomqvist from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and returned netminder Tristan Jarry to the minors in a corresponding transaction, the team announced. It’s a pure reversal of the moves Pittsburgh made after their last game on Feb. 8. Bemström has no points and two shots in two games since being recalled for the first time this season on Feb. 7, while Blomqvist has a 3-8-0 record with a .896 SV% and 3.54 GAA in 11 appearances on the year. The 23-year-old has struggled since taking over for Jarry on the roster, posting a .868 SV% in three starts since the veteran was waived in mid-January. The 29-year-old Jarry will continue to bide his time in the minors as he awaits another NHL chance, knocking on the door with a .924 SV% and 2.11 GAA in nine games.
  • The Rangers announced they’ve recalled goaltender Dylan Garand from AHL Hartford. The 22-year-old comes up to serve as Jonathan Quick’s backup with Igor Shesterkin not ready to return from the upper-body injury that kept him out of New York’s final game before the break. He’s sporting a .914 SV%, 2.73 GAA, three shutouts, and a 13-7-5 record in 25 showings with Hartford this year.
  • The Blackhawks summoned defenseman Ethan Del Mastro from AHL Rockford, a team announcement states. Chicago sent the 22-year-old down at the beginning of the break for additional playing time in the minors, where he posted three shots and a plus-one rating in four games over the past couple of weeks. He has one assist in six NHL games since first being called up in late January and will continue competing for bottom-pairing minutes while Louis Crevier is on injured reserve with a concussion.
  • The Bruins recalled defenseman Michael Callahan, center Matthew Poitras, and left-winger Riley Tufte from AHL Providence – the latter coming up under emergency conditions, per the team. Goaltender Michael DiPietro will also practice with the team while Jeremy Swayman remains with Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off but won’t count against the active roster. Callahan’s and Poitras’ recalls are reversals of pre-break assignments, with the former’s recall serving as confirmation that Hampus Lindholm won’t be ready to come off LTIR before Saturday’s game against the Ducks. Tufte’s recall is his first since November, and his inclusion is a solid indication that Charlie McAvoy will be IR-bound after sustaining an upper-body injury and subsequent infection at the 4 Nations.
  • The Jets announced they’ve recalled Kaapo Kähkönen from AHL Manitoba to serve as a practice player with Connor Hellebuyck slated to start for the Americans in Thursday’s 4 Nations championship. He’s played one NHL game since signing a one-year, $1MM deal in Winnipeg last offseason – although it was for the Avalanche, who claimed him off waivers in October but lost him back to the Jets on the wire the following month. The 28-year-old has taken a tumble in Manitoba with a .885 SV% in 20 games – a worse save percentage than he posted on last year’s league-worst Sharks.
  • The Sharks announced they’ve recalled forward Collin Graf and defenseman Jack Thompson from AHL San Jose. They were both assigned to the minors after their final pre-break game, although notably, veteran Andrew Poturalski remains in the minors after being demoted along with Graf and Thompson. The rookies are both likely to play next Sunday against the Flames.
  • Utah announced they’d recalled winger Josh Doan from AHL Tucson after the previously reported summons of goaltender Jaxson Stauber. His reinstatement to the roster suggests Logan Cooley won’t be quite ready to return from his lower-body injury this weekend against the Kings, but general manager Bill Armstrong said yesterday he’s not expected out for much longer. Doan has 4-5–9 in 25 NHL games and 11-15–26 in 28 AHL games this year.
  • The Blues will have goaltender Will Cranley join them for practice while Jordan Binnington remains with Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, the club announced. Cranley, 22, was a sixth-round pick of 2020 and is in his second season of pro hockey. He’s spent almost all of his time in the ECHL, where he has a .911 SV% and 2.28 GAA in 16 appearances with the Florida Everblades this year.
  • The Predators recalled goalie Matt Murray to join them as a practice player while Juuse Saros returns from repping the Fins at the 4 Nations, Emma Lingan of The Hockey News reports. Murray has yet to appear in a game for Nashville after spending the past few years in the Stars organization but has been recalled a few times as injury insurance this season. The 27-year-old has a sparkling .930 SV%, 2.17 GAA, two shutouts, and a 17-7-6 record for Milwaukee.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled forwards Gage Goncalves and Gabriel Fortier to join as practice players. Goncalves has served as Tampa Bay’s extra forward for much of the year. His NHL career is still young, and his one goal and seven points in 33 games with the Lightning marks the first scoring of his career. Goncalves has also scored 18 points in 14 AHL games this year. Fortier has spent his whole season in the minors and scored 10 goals and 17 points in 37 games. He ranks third on the Syracuse Crunch in goals and seventh in points.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Assessing Brayden Schenn As A Trade Candidate For The Colorado Avalanche

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In a recent edition of his mailbag, Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette assessed Brayden Schenn’s potential fit with the Colorado Avalanche. It’s hard to imagine the St. Louis Blues sending a top-six center to a division rival, but Schenn might be exactly what the Avalanche need.

There’s no question Colorado has high-end talent. Even after trading Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes in late January, the Avalanche still have annual MVP candidate Nathan MacKinnon and James Norris candidate Cale Makar on the roster. Still, Colorado has failed to find a consistent answer at the second-line center position since Nazem Kadri left as an unrestricted free agent in 2022.

Kadri’s immediate replacements were Alex Newhook and J.T. Compher during the 2022-23 season but later departed the organization. The Avalanche took their biggest swing at last year’s deadline, sending emerging top-four defenseman Bowen Byram to the Buffalo Sabres for Casey Mittelstadt. The Eden Prairie, MN native performed admirably down the stretch, scoring four goals and 10 points in 18 regular season contests with another three goals and nine points in 11 games during the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.

This season hasn’t been as fruitful. Mittelstadt is fifth in scoring on the team with nine goals and 32 points in 57 games. However, his -13 rating ranks last in Colorado and his 41.8% faceoff rate is the second-worst of his eight-year career. Mittelstadt’s disappointing production has led to some reporting that the Avalanche have already engaged in trade talks regarding the center they recently signed to a three-year, $17.25MM contract.

Rawal correctly points out that Schenn and Mittelstadt’s points-per-60 are remarkably similar at 1.55 and 1.52 respectively. Still, Schenn’s track record as a physical player willing to sacrifice his body on both sides of the puck can’t be understated, and his 50.1% success rate in the faceoff dot will help Colorado pull themselves out of 30th place in the category. Additionally, it’s known that Schenn and MacKinnon have become close friends over the years which would help his transition to the Avalanche’s locker room.

Still, there would be some concerns regarding Schenn’s acquisition, especially if Colorado considers sending Mittelstadt the other way in a potential swap. For one, Schenn is signed through the 2027-28 season for $6.5MM taking him to his age 36 season. Mittelstadt is dissimilarly on the ’right side’ of 30 so the Avalanche wouldn’t be acquiring a player enthralled in his prime years of production. As a counterpoint, Schenn has never relied on his speed or quickness to create offense so he may age more gracefully than most.

Colorado has the cap space to make it work, assuming Mittelstadt is a part of the return package. There’s no indication the two Central Division rivals will link up for a trade of this magnitude but Schenn may become a top-trade candidate for the Avalanche leading up to the deadline.

Cale Makar Still Listed As A Game-Time Decision

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One of the more unfortunate substories during Team USA’s victory over Team Canada on Saturday night was the lower-body injury forward Matthew Tkachuk suffered in the third period. He won’t play against Team Sweden tonight, as Dan Rosen of the NHL reported that Tkachuk didn’t practice with the team this morning.

Since they are the only team in the tournament with two regulation wins, there’s not much on the line for Team USA this evening. However, it seems the United States is confident Tkachuk will return for the championship game on Thursday. Amalie Benjamin of The Boston Globe shared a note from Matthew’s brother, Brady Tkachuk, saying Matthew will be ’good to go’ for Thursday’s matchup.

It’ll be important for the United States to get Matthew back in the lineup for the championship contest. He scored two goals and one assist in their victory against Team Finland last week and got the all-important matchup against Canada started with a fight against Brandon Hagel off the opening faceoff. Much like they are for their respective NHL clubs, the Tkachuk brothers have quickly become Teams USA’s emotional lifeblood.

Other notes from the 4 Nations Face-Off:

  • Another important substory from Saturday night’s rivalry matchup between Canada and the United States was the lack of the former’s top defenseman, Cale Makar. The former James Norris, Calder, and Conn Smythe Trophy winner was dealing with an illness that prohibited him from participating. Unfortunately for Team Canada, there’s no guarantee he’ll return against Team Finland. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski shared that Makar has again been listed as a game-time decision for today’s matchup, meaning a firmer decision will be made closer to puck drop.
  • Speaking of Team Finland, the team’s forward grouping will look slightly different. Dan Rosen reported that Montreal Canadiens forward Joel Armia is replacing Chicago Blackhawks’ Teuvo Teräväinen in this afternoon’s lineup. Teräväinen has gone scoreless throughout the tournament averaging approximately 8:30 of ice time per game.

Cale Makar Potentially Out With Illness

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Feb. 15th: According to Friedman, Makar has officially been ruled out of tonight’s contest due to an illness. Team Canada has been allowed to add Harley to the roster, who will draw in for Makar this evening.

Feb. 14th: Team Canada could be without its best defenseman, Cale Makar when it takes on Team USA, also without its best defenseman, Quinn Hughes. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported this morning that Makar had missed today’s practice due to illness and that Philadelphia Flyers’ defenseman Travis Sanheim was skating in his spot in the lineup.

It would ultimately be a massive blow to a Canadian team that has already lost defenseman Shea Theodore for the remainder of the tournament. Chris Johnston of The Athletic confirmed yesterday that Dallas Stars’ defenseman Thomas Harley was brought in on a stand-by role should Team Canada lose another defenseman.

Given the tournament’s rules, there was speculation that Harley wouldn’t be allowed to join the team. However, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported that the NHL and NHLPA concluded that Harley could travel to join the team in Montreal but would only be allowed to practice and/or play if Makar is officially ruled out.

That doesn’t appear to be a likely outcome. LeBrun later shared that Team Canada’s head coach, Jon Cooper, felt confident that Makar would be in tomorrow’s lineup.

Cooper’s confidence should assuage most doubts about Makar’s availability tomorrow night. The former Calder, James Norris, and Conn Smythe Trophy winner went scoreless over 28:06 in Team Canada’s opening night win over Team Sweden adding three blocked shots.

Colorado Avalanche Reassign Trent Miner

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The Colorado Avalanche made a small roster move in the early hours of Saturday morning. Colorado announced they’ve reassigned netminder Trent Miner to their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, leading up to their two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Miner has been rostered on the Avalanche for much of January and February due to the injuries to backup goaltender Scott Wedgewood. The latter missed just over a week in early January with a lower-body injury and the last few days with an upper-body injury.

However, this hasn’t resulted in increased playing time for Miner. The 24-year-old goalie has only played in two games for the Avalanche this season and has been credited with just one loss. His .879 save percentage and 2.62 goals-against average aren’t horrible numbers for a backup but it doesn’t appear Colorado is willing to extend his leash just yet.

His production with AHL Colorado has understandably been more fruitful. Miner owns a 9-5-7 record in 19 AHL contests with a .905 SV% and 2.49 GAA. It’s a positive development given he spent much of last season with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies and has five more opportunities with the Eagles over the 4 Nations Face-Off break at the very least. There’s no indication the Avalanche will recall Miner after the international tournament so he’ll likely stay in Loveland for the foreseeable future.

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