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MacFarland: Re-Signing Jonathan Drouin "Won't Be A Challenge"

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Hintz sustained an upper-body injury in Game 4 of the second round against the Avalanche and hasn’t played since. The Finnish pivot had struggled to produce up to expectations with two goals and six points in 11 games, but the re-emergence of 21-year-old Wyatt Johnston as a post-season x-factor has canceled that out.

  • Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland would like to bring back pending unrestricted free agent winger Jonathan Drouin, saying during today’s end-of-season media availability that, as of today, it won’t be a challenge with their offseason cap cushion (via Meghan Angley of DNVR Sports). However, it would be extremely difficult to fit him in if he signed at market value once Gabriel Landeskog comes off long-term injured reserve and Valeri Nichushkin is activated from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, both of which are expected to happen at some point in the 2024-25 season. Evolving Hockey pegs a Drouin extension in Colorado to come in at $4.75MM annually for four seasons. Playing a significant chunk of the season alongside former major junior teammate Nathan MacKinnon, Drouin had a career-high 37 assists and 56 points in 79 games.

Avalanche Notes: Landeskog, Nichushkin, Lehkonen, Mittelstadt, Ritchie

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Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog isn’t retiring after missing a second straight season with knee injuries, he confirmed to reporters Thursday (via Aarif Deen of Mile High Sports).

It remains to be seen whether Landeskog will be ready for training camp in the fall but he’s planning on returning sometime during the 2024-25 regular season, he said. He’s had no setbacks in his recovery for the last two months while slowly ramping up his on-ice workload (via Deen).

While it’s fortunate news for general manager Chris MacFarland that his captain will likely be back on the ice next season, the lack of a real update today muddies his offseason planning. He can operate under the assumption that Landeskog’s $7MM cap hit can be placed on offseason long-term injured reserve for additional flexibility, but with an in-season return expected, he’ll need to leave enough space under the $87.7MM upper limit to activate Landeskog at some point down the line.

Including the cap hits of Landeskog but not Valeri Nichushkin (more on him in a few paragraphs), the Avalanche have $15.9MM in projected cap space next season, per CapFriendly. That’ll evaporate quickly, though, as they only have 13 roster players signed. They’ll need to fill seven to nine spots with that money, plus leaving $6.125MM to activate Nichushkin once his six-month suspension is lifted. That’s an average of around $1.25MM per unsigned player.

Their core remains intact, though, with their top skater unit of Artturi Lehkonen, Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Devon Toews and Cale Makar all signed through next season.

More out of Colorado:

  • Speaking to reporters today, MacFarland called it “plausible” that Nichushkin would suit up for the Avalanche once he exits Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in November at the earliest (via Deen). Nichushkin does not count against the cap during his suspension, but MacFarland cannot trade, buy out, or terminate the six remaining seasons of his $6.125MM AAV contract. The Russian winger had 53 points in 54 games this season, limited by an earlier stint in the Player Assistance Program.
  • Unfortunately, Landeskog isn’t the only important winger whose status for the beginning of training camp is in doubt. Lehkonen needs offseason shoulder surgery, MacFarland said, and may miss the beginning of preseason activities. His absence isn’t expected to stretch into the regular season, though. The Finnish winger missed nearly half of 2023-24 with a neck injury, but managed 16 goals and 34 points in 45 games when healthy. Trade deadline acquisition Casey Mittelstadt was also dealing with an injury during the postseason, but it won’t require surgery and “isn’t a long-term issue.”
  • The Avs hope to get 2023 first-round pick Calum Ritchie signed to his entry-level contract this summer, MacFarland said. Ritchie, 19, finished sixth in the Ontario Hockey League in points per game with 80 in 50 appearances for the Oshawa Generals. Likely to slot into a middle-six center role long-term, Ritchie is Colorado’s best forward prospect by a wide margin. He would need to return to Oshawa next season if he doesn’t crack the NHL roster, however. His 20th birthday doesn’t fall until after New Year’s Day.

Avalanche Re-Sign Trent Miner To One-Year Deal

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The Avalanche are bringing back depth netminder Trent Miner on a one-year contract, per a team announcement. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Miner, 23, was a pending restricted free agent after completing his three-year, entry-level contract. The 2019 seventh-round pick has spent the majority of his time with the Avs in the ECHL, where he has a strong .911 SV%, 2.88 GAA, 10 shutouts and a 39-32-3 record in 76 appearances.

The Manitoba native got an extended look in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles for the first time this season and took advantage of the opportunity. He led all Eagles netminders with a .930 SV%, albeit in only 18 games, along with a 2.10 GAA and 9-6-1 record.

He becomes the third netminder under contract for the Avs next year behind their NHL duo of Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen. While they’ll add more depth to fill out their minor-league ranks and firm up their injury insurance, he likely did enough in his AHL stint to avoid assignment back to the ECHL next season, at least to start.

His development helps shoulder the loss of depth netminders Arvid Holm and Ivan Prosvetov, who are both pending Group Six unrestricted free agents and are heading overseas. Holm, 25, recently signed a three-year deal with Rögle BK of the Swedish Hockey League after struggling in limited AHL action this season, while Prosvetov is expected to return home to Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League after losing the NHL backup job to Annunen midseason.

Miner was not eligible for salary arbitration this offseason. He will remain waivers exempt for the entirety of 2024-25, so the Avalanche can give him his first NHL recall without fear of losing him when returning him to the minors. The one-year extension makes him an RFA again in 2025.

Afternoon Notes: Drouin, Henrique, Bruins, Brandsegg-Nygard

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Colorado Avalanche winger Jonathan Drouin has shared that he’s hoping to re-sign with the team this summer, per Meghan Angley of TheDNVR.com (Twitter link). Drouin joined the Avalanche on a one-year, $825K contract last July and looked great in their system, posting a career-high 56 points. He appeared in 79 games – the second-most he’s played in any of his 10 NHL seasons, behind the 2018-19 campaign.

Drouin seemed to find his footing with the Avalanche and will now hope to solidify his future with the club. He ranked fourth on the team in scoring while admirably filling Gabriel Landeskog’s role on the second line. That should be enough to earn him a substantial raise from his sub-$1MM salary this season, though he’ll still have to settle for a cheaper deal, with Colorado boasting just $15MM to re-sign their 11 free agents, including Sean Walker and Alexandar Georgiev.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Edmonton Oilers are expected to once again be without forward Adam Henrique for Game 6, head coach Kris Knoblauch shared with Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (Twitter link). Knoblauch also shared that the Oilers will have an extra forward in warmups, with one lineup forward questionable with an illness. Henrique has missed five of the six games this series and hasn’t been particularly effective when he is on the ice – with just two points in six postseason games so far. Connor Brown will remain in the lineup in Henrique’s absence, while one of Sam Carrick, Sam Gagner, or Adam Erne will likely skate as the precautionary extra forward.
  • A pair of Boston Bruins could be set to join Team Czechia at the World Championship, with Czechia news outlet iDNES.cz reporting that both David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha could join the team as soon as Monday. That decision will be made by general manager Petr Nedved and assistant general manager Martin Havlat, who shared that Pastrnak and Zacha are set to undergo medical evaluation on Sunday. These would be substantial additions to a Czechia roster that’s already leading Group A, with four wins in six games. They recently added Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas following their elimination and are now set to add two more difference-makers – a substantial boost ahead of their Tuesday matchup with Team Canada, their final of the group stage.
  • Top 2024 NHL Draft prospect Michael Brandsegg-Nygard has signed a one-year deal with the reigning SHL champions: Skelleftea AIK. Brandsegg-Nygard spent the season in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier league, where he posted 18 points in 41 games. He’s also managed five points in five World Juniors games and 12 points in nine international friendlies with Norway’s U20 team – and is currently one of just six goal-scorers on Norway’s World Championship roster. It’s been a strong year for Brandsegg-Nygard, the fifth-ranked European by NHL Central Scouting. He should only add to his momentum on a flashy, high-skill Skelleftea team next year.

Bednar Hopeful Landeskog Will Play Next Season, Wouldn't Have Been Available Had Avs Moved On

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Speaking with reporters including NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding (Twitter link) following their elimination, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar indicated that winger Gabriel Landeskog wasn’t particularly close to returning and had already been ruled out for the rest of the playoffs had Colorado advanced.  However, he’s optimistic that his captain will be able to return next season.  Landeskog hasn’t played since the 2022 playoffs and underwent a knee cartilage transplant procedure last May.  He was ruled out for the entire regular season soon after, allowing the Avs to put his $7MM contract on LTIR which gave them some spending flexibility.  If they’re expecting Landeskog to return in 2024-25, however, they won’t have that option this time around.

Yakov Trenin Ruled Out For Game 6, Listed As Day-To-Day

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The Stars will be without first-line center Roope Hintz again as they try to dispatch the Avalanche in Game 6 tonight, head coach Peter DeBoer confirmed (via Corey Masisak of The Denver Post). He remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and DeBoer is “hopeful” he could play in a Game 7 or Game 1 of the Western Conference Final, depending on the result of tonight’s contest.

  • Avalanche winger Yakov Trenin will not play in Game 6 against Dallas after sustaining an upper-body injury on Wednesday, head coach Jared Bednar said (via NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding). He’s been given a day-to-day designation and hasn’t been ruled out for a potential Game 7 should Colorado win its second straight game tonight. Line rushes at this morning’s practice confirmed that veteran pivot Chris Wagner is likely to replace Trenin as the team’s fourth-line center as they try to draw the series even at three games apiece. Trenin, 27, is a pending unrestricted free agent and has one goal in 10 playoff games after being picked up from the Predators before the trade deadline.

Yakov Trenin Being Evaluated For Upper-Body Injury

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  • Avalanche checking forward Yakov Trenin is being evaluated for an upper-body injury after leaving last night’s Game 5 win over the Stars prematurely, Colorado Hockey Now’s Evan Rawal reported mid-game. Picked up from the Predators before the trade deadline, Trenin has one goal in 10 postseason games thus far and has played a smaller role than expected, averaging 10:36 per game. He’s also struggled in the faceoff dot while serving as their fourth-line pivot, winning only 43.6% of his draws. If he’s unable to play in Game 6 on Friday, expect veteran Chris Wagner to draw into the lineup. Wagner’s lone appearance came in their Game 1 overtime win over Dallas last week, logging 8:28 of ice time.

Devon Toews Will Return For Game 5

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Currently dealing with an upper-body injury, Hintz only managed to skate in 6:35 during the Stars’ Game 4 victory on Monday night, leaving the ice early into the second period. In his shift before leaving the game, Hintz was cross-checked on the right side by forward Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche. Seemingly laboring through the rest of the shift, Hintz would end up blocking a shot and then was once again cross-checked by Avalanche defenseman Sean Walker.

  • On the flip side of the series, the Avalanche are expected to see defenseman Devon Toews return to the lineup tonight, according to Emily Kaplan of ESPN. Toews will return to the active roster after missing Game 4 due to an illness, and will now help Colorado stave off elimination for the first time this postseason. In eight playoff games so far this spring, Toews has once again been heavily utilized by the Avalanche, scoring one goal and five assists while averaging 23:46 of ice time per game.

Devon Toews Could Return For Game 5

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  • After missing the team’s Game 4 matchup against the Dallas Stars last night, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews will be traveling with the team to Texas, and the organization is hopeful that he can return to the lineup for Game 5 (X Link). Head coach of the Avalanche, Jared Bednar, reiterated to reporters that Toews missed Game 4 due to illness and that his absence was not related to the hit delivered by Stars’ forward Jamie Benn in the second period of Game 2. On the brink of elimination for the first time this postseason, Colorado’s chances of extending the series will increase if Toews is able to crack the lineup for Game 5.
  • While both were shaken up in the Stars’ Game 4 victory against the Avalanche last night, head coach Peter DeBoer did not offer any updates on the status of Roope Hintz or Chris Tanev (X Link). Hintz, who was only able to manage 6:35 of ice time, left the game during the first period and would not return. Tanev, on the other hand, managed over 21 minutes of ice time and left the game in the third period after getting shaken up by a hit. However, as in the case of most teams in the playoffs, both players could be ready to return for Game 5, and the update could be some gamesmanship on behalf of the Stars organization.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Valeri Nichushkin Placed In Stage 3 Of Player Assistance Program

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The National Hockey League along with the National Hockey League Players’ Association have announced that Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin has been put into Stage 3 of the Player Assistance Program. The program is a joint effort between the NHL and NHLPA, and with Nichushkin in Stage 3, he will be suspended without pay for at least six months and will then need to apply to be reinstated once he is eligible.

The Avalanche are just hours away from taking to the ice for Game 4 of their second-round series against the Dallas Stars and trail 2-1. Nichushkin has been a big part of this year’s playoff push for Colorado, tallying nine goals and one assist in eight postseason games. The 29-year-old also had a strong regular season this year, dressing in 54 regular-season games and registering 28 goals and 25 assists.

Nichushkin spent time in the player assistance program earlier this year and also missed the final five playoff games last season against the Seattle Kraken for what the team called personal reasons. He has remained a solid on-ice contributor for the Avalanche posting 93 goals and 107 assists in 289 games, as well as 26 points in his last 30 playoff games. While he’s been very good for the Avalanche on the ice, his off-ice issues have limited his availability, particularly during the past two post-seasons when he’s left the team early.

Nichushkin was a feel-good story two seasons ago when he became a major contributor as the Avalanche marched to a Stanley Cup championship. He had nine goals and six assists in 20 playoff games during that run and it was a shocking turnaround after he was just three years removed from a season in which he had no goals and 10 assists in 57 games with Dallas.

Per TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, “Entering Stage 3 of the Player Assistance Program means that there was a violation of the Stage 2 treatment plan and it requires a suspension without pay for at least six months and then the player is eligible to apply for reinstatement.”

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