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Carolina Hurricanes Recall Joel Nystrom

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8:20 p.m.: The Hurricanes announced that Miller will miss tonight’s game with a lower-body injury, so Nystrom will indeed make his NHL debut, wearing the colors of the Hartford Whalers.

8:00 p.m.: The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled defenseman Joel Nystrom from their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. The move positions Nystrom to potentially make his NHL debut in the Hurricanes’ game tonight against the Colorado Avalanche.

With star defenseman Jaccob Slavin placed on injured reserve on Tuesday, the club has recalled Nystrom to provide additional cover on defense. Nystrom, 23, fits a very different profile from the Hurricanes’ previous defensive recall, Charles-Alexis Legault. While Legault is a 6’4″, 215-pound right-shot blueliner with a game built around maximizing his size and strength, Nystrom is a 5’11”, 178-pound left-shot defenseman whose game is built around his quickness and ability to contribute on both ends.

Nystrom doesn’t arrive on the Hurricanes’ NHL roster with a huge amount of North American pro experience, though. He joined AHL Chicago in April after the conclusion of his SHL season with Färjestad BK, and has played in just seven games in North America, scoring two points. Hurricanes team reporter Walt Ruff even wrote today that Nystrom’s recall came “probably sooner than the team wanted,” even though the team’s hockey operations department thinks highly of his game.

Because of that, it’s possible Nystrom only gets the chance to participate in some NHL practices, travel with the team, and see NHL hockey up-close during this recall, rather than dress for any games. The team currently has K’Andre Miller, Alexander Nikishin, and Mike Reilly occupying its left-side blueline spots, and each player offers more North American pro experience than Nystrom.

In any case, the recall is a signal of the organization’s belief in Nystrom to make his presence known in the NHL sooner rather than later. This recall also has a potentially significant financial benefit for Nystrom, regardless of if he dresses for any games or not. As he’s playing out the final year of his entry-level deal, his salary is tied to a two-way structure. So, for as long as he can spend on the Hurricanes’ NHL roster, he’ll earn the prorated portion of his elevated $925K NHL pay rate, rather than the $80K salary he makes while he’s rostered in the AHL.

Atlantic Notes: Sabourin, Woll, Shanahan

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The Tampa Bay Lightning recalled forward Scott Sabourin from their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, today. The move is the second recall for Sabourin in this early portion of the season, and has been made, presumably, with the intention of allowing the veteran to serve the four-game suspension he was levied in the preseason. Sabourin was recalled on Oct. 17 and was on the Lightning’s roster for two games. As he will be on the roster for tonight’s Lightning game against the Chicago Blackhawks, after tonight, Sabourin will have to serve one more game before he is eligible to dress for NHL games once again.

Sabourin’s suspension does not apply to the AHL, though, where he has played all of this season so far. The 33-year-old is off to a decent start in Syracuse, scoring one goal and an assist in four games. Sabourin spent almost all of 2024-25 in the AHL as well, scoring 25 points in 68 games for the San Jose Barracuda, racking up 111 penalty minutes in the process. A pending UFA this upcoming summer, Sabourin is playing out a one-year deal he signed in Tampa, one that contains a $775K NHL salary, $250K AHL salary, and a hefty $350K total guarantee.

Other notes from the Atlantic Division:

  • PuckPedia noted today that the Toronto Maple Leafs shifted injured netminder Joseph Woll from standard injured reserve to long-term injured reserve (LTIR). Puckpedia also noted that after their recall of defenseman Dakota Mermis today, the club has $3.63MM in cap space remaining with 23 healthy players on its roster. Woll took a personal leave of absence in September, and no further update on his status has been provided, nor has there been any further reporting on the matter. Today’s roster move does suggest the Maple Leafs could be without Woll for some time, though. The 27-year-old was expected to share a tandem with Anthony Stolarz this season after putting together a solid 2024-25, a year where he posted a .909 save percentage in 42 games. Woll’s absence prompted the club to claim Cayden Primeau off of waivers before the season, and Primeau has won his only start as a Maple Leaf thus far – a 7-4 victory on Oct. 14 in which Primeau saved 26 of 30 shots.
  • Former Maple Leafs GM and Hockey Hall of Fame Inductee Brendan Shanahan has taken up a role with the NHL’s Hockey Operations department, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger. Dreger added that he “would expect Shanahan would be a leading candidate if a team makes a significant change and an opportunity presents to lead another NHL club.” There is a precedent for such a move – Ken Holland worked for the league office for a relatively brief period before his hire as GM of the Los Angeles Kings. This isn’t the first time Shanahan, who ran the Maple Leafs’ hockey operations department for 11 years, has worked for the league office: he previously served as head of the NHL’s Department of Player Safety from 2011-12 through 2013-14.

Mammoth Recall Kevin Rooney

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The Mammoth announced that forward Kevin Rooney has been recalled from AHL Tucson. They’ve opened a roster spot for him by reassigning Andrew Agozzino to Tucson after he cleared waivers today.

Rooney was a late addition to the Utah organization this offseason. He went unsigned for much of the summer before landing a professional tryout with the Devils, with whom he suited up from 2016 to 2020. While that PTO didn’t result in a contract with New Jersey, he landed a two-way deal with the Mammoth after being released. He was waived the next day and cleared, beginning the season in Tucson after technically being included on Utah’s opening night roster.

The 32-year-old Rooney has 32 goals, 28 assists, 60 points, and a -12 rating in 330 career NHL appearances with the Devils, Rangers, and Flames. While he may have had to settle for a two-way deal, he’s actually coming off a career-high 70 games played in Calgary last season. He spent the year as a fourth-line center or winger as needed, averaging 9:25 per game while recording a 5-5–10 scoring line and 109 hits.

He provides a more stable, experienced option – and one more oriented for a bottom-six checking role – than the offense-minded Agozzino was. As such, there’s a good chance he could stick around for a while, at least until Alexander Kerfoot is ready to come off injured reserve and make his season debut. It’s also a reward for a strong start in Tucson for Rooney, who has three goale and an assist in four games in what was his first minor-league action in two years.

Golden Knights Place Mark Stone On Long-Term Injured Reserve

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Oct. 23: Stone’s IR placement has turned into an LTIR placement, per PuckPedia. They were short on cap space after recalling Carl Lindbom and Jaycob Megna from AHL Henderson on Wednesday, so this was the expected outcome. With an additional $3.82MM in their LTIR pool, they now have just under $2.5MM in cap space following the recalls. Since the placement is retroactive to Oct. 18 and he needs to miss at least 10 games and 24 days before he’s eligible to return, the soonest he’ll be back is Nov. 13 against the Islanders.

Oct. 21: Stone landed on injured reserve last night, per Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. It’s purely a formality; a week-to-week designation ensured he’d missed the seven days required for IR. Vegas now has an open roster spot, but there’s only $310,275 remaining in their LTIR pool, according to PuckPedia. That doesn’t leave them enough room to make a corresponding recall unless they play short a skater for a game, allowing them to use an emergency exception and temporarily exceed the cap by recalling a player with a cap hit of $875,000 or less.

Oct. 20: Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy announced that winger Mark Stone is out week-to-week with a wrist injury in a Monday press conference, per Jesse Granger of The Athletic.

Stone fell face-first into the boards and briefly returned to the locker room in Vegas’ Thursday win over the Boston Bruins. He remained in the lineup and scored four points in Saturday’s win over the Calgary Flames, but appeared to take another awkward fall midway through the third period, also captured by Granger.

It’s not clear if either fall is connected to Stone’s injury. He’ll be forced out of the short term, leaving Vegas with a big hole in their top six. Stone ranks second on the team and across the NHL, scoring 13 points in six games. He has found a comfortable role next to scoring leader Jack Eichel and winger Ivan Barbashev, forming a top line that’s outscored opponents five-to-three at even-strength.

Stone has long been among Vegas’ best players but struggles with routine injury. He has missed 170 games across six full seasons with the Golden Knights, or roughly 35 percent of a possible 492 games. He’s also averaged 26 goals and 80 points per 82 games played in that period. That productivity and a lofty impact on defense make Stone a standout whenever he’s in the lineup. Now, Vegas will have to push through at least a few games without that difference-maker.

In Stone’s absence, Vegas will likely turn towards Brandon Saad or Reilly Smith to fill a top-six winger role. Smith has one point, while Saad hasn’t scored through six games this season. More pressingly, Stone’s absence should give Shea Theodore a chance to return to the top power-play unit. Vegas has been operating with five forwards on their top unit, thanks to Pavel Dorofeyev’s five power-play points to start the year. That’s left Theodore with just five minutes of ice time and no scoring on the power-play. Vegas could also turn towards William Karlsson, who has one power-play point and three total points in six games.

Oilers Place Kasperi Kapanen On Injured Reserve

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Oct. 23: The Oilers announced that Kapanen has been placed on injured reserve. They’re now operating with an open roster spot, which could be used to activate Mattias Janmark or Alec Regula from IR in the coming days.

Oct. 21: After leaving the team’s most recent loss to the Detroit Red Wings, the Edmonton Oilers aren’t expecting Kasperi Kapanen back for several weeks. Head coach Kris Knoblauch (via Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic) confirmed the severity of Kapanen’s undisclosed injury earlier today.

Specifically, Knoblauch said this morning, “Right now, it’s looking (like) up to six (weeks). He’ll be unavailable for a while.” That means that Kapanen could be out until the last week of November, which would likely position him for the injured reserve.

However, the Oilers likely won’t be able to replace Kapanen in the active roster anyway, which would negate any reason to place him on the IR. As PHR’s Brian La Rose pointed out, “Notably, the team does not have enough accrued cap space to recall anyone from AHL Bakersfield (even with LTIR) as things stand which could be something to keep an eye on if he’s set to miss any more time.”

Still, it’ll be a missing bottom-six piece for the next month or more. After being claimed off waivers from the St. Louis Blues last season, Kapanen scored five goals and 13 points in 57 games, averaging 12:01 of ice time per game. He had improved play in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, registering three goals and six points in 12 games, averaging 13:28 of action per night.

Despite some poor defensive play, which isn’t typical of most bottom-six forwards, the Oilers clearly liked what they saw from Kapanen last season, signing him to a one-year, $1.3MM contract one day before the start of free agency this past summer.

Regardless, it’ll mean more ice time for at least one on Edmonton’s roster. Noah Philp and Curtis Lazar have been the most oft-scratched forwards for the Oilers through their first six contests, though the former played in Sunday’s loss to Detroit. Edmonton appears set to keep Philp in for tonight’s game against the Ottawa Senators, while also reintroducing David Tomasek back into the lineup after missing Sunday’s contests.

Sabres Activate Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen From Conditioning Stint

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Oct. 23: The Sabres announced they’ve recalled Luukkonen from his conditioning stint, putting him back on the active roster. He suited up for Rochester in a 4-2 win over Syracuse on Wednesday, making 21 saves on 23 shots for a .913 SV%.

Oct. 21: Sabres starting netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will head to AHL Rochester on a conditioning stint, the club announced. The team also reassigned defenseman Zachary Jones to Rochester after recalling him on Sunday. Luukkonen remains on IR while on his conditioning stint, so Buffalo is operating with an open roster spot with the Jones reassignment.

Luukkonen, 26, has yet to suit up in the regular season. He showed up to camp with a lower-body issue that sidelined him for a few days. He was eventually able to make a preseason start but sustained a second injury in the first period of that game that landed him on the shelf on a week-to-week basis before opening night. He’s now eligible to suit up for or practice with Rochester for up to two weeks before the Sabres have to leave him on IR or reinstate him.

In the meantime, veteran backup Alex Lyon has more than picked up the slack. He signed a two-year, $3MM deal in the offseason, and he’s started and finished all six of the Sabres’ games thus far. He’s carrying a 2-4-0 record after last night’s loss to Montreal, but has an eye-popping .924 SV% and 2.55 GAA in the process, even recording a 32-save shutout against the Panthers last weekend. His 4.5 goals saved above expected rank ninth in the NHL, per MoneyPuck.

It begs the question whether Luukkonen will even see the lion’s share of starts when he’s ready to return. Lyon is untested in this type of usage – the 32-year-old has only ever topped 30 starts in a season once – but it’s nearly impossible to justify taking the reins away from him given his early-season showing.

Giving Luukkonen a conditioning stint, aside from getting up to speed, also provides the Sabres more time to decide what to do with Colten Ellis. They claimed the 25-year-old off waivers from the Blues a few weeks ago for him to supplement Lyon with Luukkonen out. They sang his praises after the claim and would prefer to retain him, but must expose him to waivers again if they want him to go to Rochester. Doing so could result in a reclaim by the Blues, who could send him directly to their AHL affiliate if they’re the only team to submit a claim.

Luukkonen now looks to shake off the rust following a tough start to the year. After finishing 12th in All-Star Team voting in 2023-24 with a career year, the 2017 second-round pick regressed mightily in 2024-25. While he made a career-high 55 starts, it didn’t come with great numbers – a 24-24-5 record, .887 SV%, and 3.20 GAA with a pair of shutouts. That was “good” for -8.6 GSAx after posting a 9.4 the year before.

As for Jones, he was a healthy scratch for last night’s loss. Buffalo recalled him to ensure they had seven healthy defensemen on the active roster while Jacob Bryson sat in concussion protocol. He hasn’t been cleared yet, but if Buffalo needs another defenseman for tomorrow’s home game against the Red Wings, they can easily recall someone else from Rochester.

Rangers Sign Nathan Aspinall To Entry-Level Contract

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The Rangers announced they’ve signed winger Nathan Aspinall to an entry-level contract. It’s a three-year deal that begins this season, although it will slide to 2026-27 in the likely event he doesn’t play 10 NHL games this season. Financial terms were not disclosed.

New York selected Aspinall in the fifth round of the 2024 draft. The hulking 6’7″, 194-lb Ontario native is beginning his fourth and final season of junior hockey with the OHL’s Flint Firebirds. His first NHL contract is a reward for a scorching start – he has six goals and 10 points through his first six games with Flint.

That’s a significant breakout for Aspinall, who’d been a valuable but not overly impressive offensive presence over the prior two years. Aspinall had an 18-16–34 scoring line in 65 games in his draft year before upping his overall production to a 17-30–47 line in 62 showings last year. He scores the majority of his goals within a few feet of the net – not a surprising tidbit about a winger with his frame – but has some intriguing raw passing skills as well.

He isn’t viewed as a top-10 talent in the Rangers’ system, but that’s not to say he’s devoid of upside. He’ll play out the rest of the year with Flint before presumably getting his first extended taste of pro hockey with AHL Hartford next season. He’ll then have another two years to work his way up toward an NHL recall before he risks being cut loose by the Rangers.

Wild Place Zach Bogosian On Injured Reserve

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Oct. 23: The Wild announced that they’ve reassigned Haight back to Iowa. He did not play in the lone game of his call-up, yesterday’s 4-1 loss to the Devils. Rossi returned for that contest, so his services as a healthy extra are no longer needed.

Oct. 21: The Wild announced they’ve placed defenseman Zach Bogosian on injured reserve, retroactive to Oct. 17. His roster spot will go to forward Hunter Haight, who’s been recalled from AHL Iowa in the corresponding move.

It isn’t a meaningful update to Bogosian’s status. He remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury he sustained while blocking a shot against the Capitals last Friday. He’s already missed two games, and the IR placement means he’ll miss one more, tomorrow against the Devils, until he’s eligible for activation prior to Saturday’s game at home against the Mammoth. David Jiříček was brought up in his place over the weekend and directly replaced the fellow righty in third-pairing duties alongside Jacob Middleton. He hasn’t been particularly noticeable, recording a minus-one rating, one shot on goal, and no blocks or hits.

The 35-year-old Bogosian hopes his absence doesn’t stretch out much longer than one more game. He’s been surprisingly effective to begin the season, posting a plus-three rating in five appearances with nine blocks and six hits. The 18-year veteran has positive possession impacts at even strength, including a 56.4 xGF%, churning out a stable defensive presence in his limited minutes (13:53 per game). Jiříček, while more offensively gifted, hasn’t been able to deliver that physicality or defensive play. For a team struggling to produce offense at even strength, scoring just eight goals at 5-on-5 through seven games, getting a positive possession player like Bogosian back in the lineup will be a help, even if just a marginal one.

Haight comes up to give Minnesota some extra forward depth while fellow pivot Marco Rossi nurses a short-term injury. Rossi already missed yesterday’s win over the Rangers with an undisclosed injury, and Haight’s summons indicates he likely won’t be available tomorrow, either. Haight, 21, made the Wild’s opening roster submission and made his NHL debut in their first two games of the season, posting a minus-two rating and a 43.8 FO% while averaging 9:22 per game. The 2022 second-rounder understandably won’t get much development with that kind of usage and performance and was promptly sent to the minors. As such, his recall isn’t expected to be a lengthy one. He’s also struggled to begin the year in Iowa, going pointless with a minus-three rating through a pair of games.

Sharks Activate Timothy Liljegren From Injured Reserve

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The Sharks announced that defenseman Timothy Liljegren was activated from injured reserve. He’ll re-enter the lineup tonight against the Rangers in place of rookie Sam Dickinson, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now relayed. The club had an open roster spot after reassigning Luca Cagnoni to the AHL on Tuesday.

Liljegren’s absence ends after nine days and three games, just above the IR minimums. He was dealing with an upper-body injury that he sustained on Oct. 14 against the Hurricanes. He landed on IR last week as some other injuries forced San Jose to do some roster shuffling, but they’re back to having a full 23-player contingent with only Shakir Mukhamadullin on IR – at least, among players who aren’t effectively retired.

A first-round pick in the 2017 draft by the Maple Leafs, Liljegren was a two-time 20-point getter for Toronto but slipped down their depth chart to the point where he was a frequent healthy scratch to begin last season. He was traded to San Jose in late October and popped up as a top-four piece in the Bay Area, posting a 6-11–17 scoring line with a -25 rating in 67 appearances while averaging 19:16 of ice time per game. Those raw numbers overshadow what were generally positive under-the-hood numbers for Liljegren, whose 47.2 CF% at 5-on-5 was 2.4 points better than what the team managed to control without him on the ice.

In a three-game sample to begin 2025-26, Liljegren didn’t record a point and logged a minus-two rating but reached new ice-time heights at 20:14 per game. He’s not factoring in on San Jose’s power play like he was last year, but he saw hugely increased shorthanded deployment at three minutes per game. After starting the year alongside Mario Ferraro at even strength, he’ll have a new face to his left tonight in Dmitry Orlov, reports Max Miller of Sharks Hockey Digest.

Summer Synopsis: Colorado Avalanche

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With the regular season now upon us, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective.  Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled.  Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team accomplished over the offseason.  Next up is a look at the Colorado Avalanche.

The Avalanche had a shocking end to their season this past spring and are looking to put it behind them and resume their quest for another Stanley Cup. The Avalanche aren’t mentioned in the upper echelon of NHL teams like they were a few years ago, but on paper, they are very much in the conversation. They don’t boast the depth that they used to, but their top six remains one of the strongest in the league, and they still have a top defensive pairing in Devon Toews and Cale Makar.

Draft

3-77 – D Francesco Dell’Elce, UMass (NCAA)
4-118 – D Linus Funck, Luleå HF J20 (J20 Nationell)
7-214 – F Nolan Roed, Tri-City (USHL)

The Avalanche didn’t have many picks this year, which is the result of doing business when you’re in the Stanley Cup window. With their third-round pick, Colorado chose an offensive defenseman who already moves like a pro and stays very calm under pressure. He has an excellent first pass and can lead the transition game with his skating and passing. You might wonder why he was drafted in the third round after reading that. Firstly, he’s an older prospect at 20. He’s also better with the puck than without it, suggesting that his defensive game could improve.

With their fourth-round pick, the Avalanche selected Funck from Sweden. The mobile defenseman is another good transition player, with a strong first pass and good ice awareness. He’s a solid defender and appears to transition smoothly from offense to defense, which might explain his significant jump of 36 spots in the spring rankings. While he has considerable potential, he may face some challenges. Funck is lean and will likely need to add strength to handle net-front battles and NHL forecheckers.

Expectations are rarely high for seventh-round picks, but there is a lot to like about Roed’s game. He can move around the ice with speed and plays a north-south style of hockey. He creates separation with his skating and remains poised under pressure when carrying the puck. While he performs well in open spaces, the biggest critique of Roed is that he struggles with physical contact and is easily knocked off the puck in board battles and net-front confrontations.

Trade Acquisitions

RW Gavin Brindley (from Columbus)
LW Danil Gushchin (from San Jose)

The Avalanche made a few trades this summer, with the Brindley acquisition aimed mainly at shedding the contracts of Coyle and Wood rather than Brindley, the player. The 21-year-old Brindley is a former second-round pick (34th overall) and is expected to see NHL action this season, even though he is undersized at just 5’8” and 173 lbs. The Avalanche lack a well-established bottom six, so they are open to giving young players in that role opportunities if they believe they can be long-term solutions.

Gushchin is another small player Colorado was willing to take a chance on. The 23-year-old, a former third-round pick (76th overall) in 2020, has been a consistent scorer in the AHL over the past three seasons. Gushchin had a lengthy stint in the NHL with San Jose, but he managed only one point in 12 games and wasn’t a significant presence. At 165 lbs, there are concerns that he might get pushed around in battles and easily be knocked off the puck. However, given his skill level, Colorado was willing to take the gamble on him.

UFA Signings

D Jack Ahcan (one year, $775K)*
D Ronald Attard (one year, $775K)*
C Alex Barre-Boulet (one year, $775K)
D Brent Burns (one year, $1MM)
C Parker Kelly (four years, $6.8MM)^
F Joel Kiviranta (one year, $1.25MM)
D Josh Manson (two years, $7.9MM)^
C Brock Nelson (three years, $22.5MM)^
F Victor Olofsson (one year, $1.575MM)
C TJ Tynan (one year, $775K)*

*-denotes two-way contract
^-denotes re-signing

The most significant move for the Avalanche in free agency was re-signing veteran center Nelson, who fit well after joining from the New York Islanders at the NHL Trade Deadline. Spending $7.5MM annually on a 34-year-old is definitely a gamble, but given their position in the contention window, the signing makes sense for the Avalanche. It provided them with a second-line center and a reliable player driver, which they’ve been looking for since winning the Stanley Cup in 2022.

In terms of new faces, signing Burns to a one-year deal was a smart gamble even though he’s 40 years old. The former Norris Trophy winner remains a very effective offensive defenseman with his shot and passing still quite good, even if his skating isn’t what it used to be. Burns can’t log 26 minutes a night anymore, but he can probably handle around 20 minutes and still be effective, which is a steal for $1MM. It’ll be interesting to see how he performs in the later stages of the season, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see him finish with 30-40 points.

Olofsson is another intriguing addition who could have some upside in Colorado. The 30-year-old is a three-time 20-goal scorer who could reasonably reach a 40-point pace over an 82-game season. The problem with Olofsson has always been that if he hits a slump, he doesn’t do enough without the puck to secure a spot in an NHL lineup; however, last season, he disproved that notion by significantly improving his defensive play and posting excellent defensive numbers. It’s uncertain if he can keep this up, but only time will tell.

Finally, the Avalanche decided to re-sign veteran defenseman Manson for another two years. The 34-year-old is in his fifth season with the Avalanche and continues to be a defense-first defenseman who isn’t afraid to hit. Manson missed half of last season but reduced his penalties when he did play. His puck control was poor last year, as he was responsible for many turnovers in limited ice time. Right-shot defensemen are hard to find, and at the very least, Manson remains a third-pair defender.

RFA Re-Signings

F Danil Gushchin (one year, $775K)*
D Sam Malinski (one year, $1.4MM)
G Trent Miner (two years, $1.55MM)*
RW Jason Polin (one year, $775K)
C Matthew Steinburg (one year, $775K)*

*-denotes two-way contract

There isn’t much to comment on regarding the Avalanche’s RFA list from this past offseason. Malinski is essentially the only RFA who could make an impact at the NHL level this season. The 27-year-old is a bit small, but he’s swift and isn’t afraid to use his skills to create plays with the puck. Malinski is clearly talented with the puck on his stick, and he’s willing to jump into the play from the point or lead the team in transition. This upcoming season is crucial for Malinski as he aims to break into Colorado’s top four.

Outside of Malinski, the remaining RFAs re-signed and will spend most of their time in the AHL. Gushchin might get a look at the NHL level given his skill set, but with his size, it’s hard to see him getting an extended opportunity.

Departures

F Charlie Coyle (traded to Columbus)
F Jonathan Drouin (signed with Islanders, two years $8MM)
D Erik Johnson (retired)
D Ryan Lindgren (signed with Seattle, four years $18MM)
D John Ludvig (signed in Czechia)
D Calle Rosen (signed with Washington, one year $775K)*
D Devante Stephens (signed in Austria)
F Miles Wood (traded to Columbus)

*-denotes two-way contract

The Avalanche’s forward group suffered significant losses this offseason as Coyle, Wood, and Drouin moved on. This causes pressure on the team’s bottom six, which will look quite different this year. Whether that turns out to be a good thing remains to be seen, but currently, several questions surround the team’s fourth line, specifically regarding Zakhar Bardakov and Brindley. Parker Kelly is an established player on that fourth line and is likely to serve as a mentor to the other two as they work towards becoming regular NHL players.

Bardakov has good size and could bring a bit of a power-forward feel to the fourth line. He doesn’t have a long history of scoring, but last season he was a solid depth scorer in the KHL, recording 17 goals and 18 assists in 53 games. The 24-year-old was a seventh-round draft pick and isn’t highly touted, but if he can competently fill the fourth line role for Colorado, it would check off one of their shopping list items and provide a solid return on that late-round pick.

On the defensive end, the most notable loss was Lindgren, who bolted to Seattle on what can best be described as an overpayment. Lindgren has traditionally been a decent middle-pair option, but he was a disaster last year in New York with the Rangers and damaged many of his partner, Adam Fox’s, numbers. He was moved at the deadline to Colorado, where he posted arguably the worst results of their entire defense core. Colorado could have probably received better results from the player they traded for Lindgren (Calvin de Haan) and correctly moved on during the off-season. That’s not to say Lindgren is a bad player by any means, but for $4.5MM annually, Colorado could find a better fit.

Former first overall pick Johnson also retired after playing 1023 NHL games. The 37-year-old split his time between Philadelphia and Colorado, performing respectably with the Avalanche, though a 101.3 PDO helped him. It seemed like he might continue his career this season, but ultimately, he chose to hang up his skates. For Colorado, Johnson isn’t a significant loss, as they have plenty of options to fill the role he played last season in his limited time.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Avalanche are close to the salary cap, but isn’t in the worst position with just over $1.1MM available currently (as per PuckPedia). That figure multiplies to $4.665MM at the NHL Trade Deadline, meaning the Avalanche can add an impact player without needing to shed salary and could even acquire a player with a cap hit above $8MM if the other team is willing to retain. Next summer, the Avalanche will once again face a cap crunch with just under $27MM available and 14 players signed. One of their free agents is forward Martin Necas, who could consume more than one-third of that remaining cap space, indicating a summer squeeze once again in Colorado.

Key Questions

Do the Avalanche have another deep playoff run in them?

The Avalanche don’t have a perfect roster, and no NHL team does in a salary cap world. As mentioned earlier, there are question marks on the lower tiers of their roster, but the top end remains elite, giving them a chance for a deep playoff run unless significant injuries occur. A concern for the Avalanche in the Central Division is that they could face either the Dallas Stars or Winnipeg Jets in one of, if not both, of the first two rounds of the playoffs, and those teams are also top-tier NHL clubs.

How will Mackenzie Blackwood perform for a whole season?

Blackwood performed exceptionally well after joining the Sharks in a midseason trade. His performance was so impressive that it prompted the Avalanche to sign him to a long-term extension. It was somewhat risky, considering the early struggles Blackwood faced in his career, but the Avalanche are betting that last year’s version of Blackwood is the one they’ll see moving forward. It’s a significant gamble; some might say they are staking their Stanley Cup hopes on him because if he falters, they won’t have much cap space left to find a suitable replacement. While that might be a bit of hyperbole, Blackwood’s play could indeed be a key factor in where the Avalanche finish the season.

How will Gabriel Landeskog perform full-time?

It’s been four years since Landeskog began the regular season in October, having missed three full seasons before returning last year for the playoffs. The 32-year-old played well in five games, scoring a goal and adding three assists before the Dallas Stars eliminated the Avalanche in the first round. It was an incredible comeback, one that seemed impossible at one point. Now, with the calendar turned back to the regular season, it will be interesting to see how many games Landeskog plays this year and how effective he will be as the season goes on. He’s off to a slow start this season, but if Landeskog has taught us anything, it’s not to underestimate his grit.

Photo by Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

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