West Injury Notes: Avalanche, Klingberg, Mukhamadullin
Much like he did a few days ago ahead of their road trip through the southeast, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar provided a few more injury updates this afternoon. Provided by Corey Misiak of The Denver Post, Bednar said that the team is expecting netminder Mackenzie Blackwood and forward Joel Kiviranta to return after the trip.
Additionally, on the positive side of the update, Bedar indicated that although he won’t play tonight, forward Gavin Brindley may return as early as tomorrow against the Florida Panthers. Both Kiviranta and Brindley are dealing with lower-body injuries, though neither is expected to miss too much time.
The news is also good regarding Blackwood. The Avalanche did not initially provide a timeline for his recovery, so a few days missed should not significantly impact their chances on the three-game road trip. Bednar mentioned to Misiak that Blackwood’s injury was discovered at the team’s practice on Thursday.
Other injury notes from the Western Conference:
- The San Jose Sharks were missing blueliner John Klingberg in their blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning today. Before the game, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now shared that Klingberg is dealing with a lower-body issue. The Sharks could have used Klingberg’s offensive capabilities today, as he’s scored nine goals and 16 points in his first 31 games with the club.
- Outside of Klingberg, the Sharks are dealing with another injured defenseman from today’s game. Shortly before the start of the third period, San Jose shared that Shakir Mukhamadullin has exited the game due to injury, without specifying if it was a lower or upper-body issue. The 23-year-old defenseman skated in 5:33 of today’s contest, earning a -3 rating with one blocked shot.
Evening Notes: Horvat, Miller, Avalanche, Anderson
The New York Islanders are dealing with some additional concerns from their difficult loss to the Utah Mammoth earlier today. According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, center Bo Horvat was apparently doubled over in pain on the bench and left the game in the third period.
The Islanders didn’t offer any updates to Horvat’s status after the game. Still, Andrew Gross of Newsday relayed a note from head coach Patrick Roy that Horvat is expected to meet with the team’s medical staff tomorrow.
Any more missed time by Horvat would obviously hurt New York’s competitive chances leading up to the Olympic Break in February. Tonight was Horvat’s third game back since returning from a separate injury, when he missed five games in mid-December. The team went 2-2-1 in his absence.
Other evening updates:
- After sharing that Matthew Tkachuk wouldn’t be available for the Winter Classic tomorrow, the visiting team will also be without one of their better forwards. According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, the New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller won’t be able to return from his upper-body injury for tomorrow’s game. Miller, who hasn’t played since December 20th, was given a week-to-week recovery timeline, which would have made a potential return tomorrow relatively early.
- The Colorado Avalanche may be without a few depth forwards for their upcoming road trip through the Southeastern United States. Earlier today, Corey Misiak of the Denver Post passed along an update from head coach Jared Bednar, who shared that Gavin Brindley and Joel Kiviranta are each dealing with lower-body injuries. Neither injury is considered long-term, though Bednar admitted that the team may need to recall an extra forward for the three-game trip.
- In tonight’s chaotic matchup between the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens, the latter is dealing with some injury concerns up front. The Canadiens announced that Josh Anderson had exited the game due to injury. The veteran winger scored one goal on his only shot of the game, skating in 9:36 of the action.
Central Notes: Bedard, Vanacker, O’Connor, Kiviranta
Blackhawks center Connor Bedard was injured in a last-second faceoff in last night’s game against St. Louis. Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times notes that the 20-year-old has already been ruled out for today’s game against Detroit with there not yet being enough information to make any determinations beyond that. More information is expected on Monday before the team embarks on a three-game road trip. Bedard, the number one pick in 2023, is in the middle of a breakout season as he has 19 goals and 25 assists in just 31 games, a level of play that has him as a speculative candidate to play for Canada at the upcoming Olympics, assuming that this injury isn’t a long-term one.
Elsewhere in the Central:
- Still with Chicago, Hockey Canada announced (Twitter link) that Blackhawks prospect Marek Vanacker has been added to its training camp roster for the upcoming World Juniors. The 19-year-old was the 27th pick in the 2024 draft and is in the middle of a dominant season with OHL Brantford. Through 26 games with the Bulldogs, Vanacker has 26 goals and 15 assists. Considering the fact he wasn’t on the original invite list, he has some work to do to try to secure a spot on the final roster.
- The Avalanche have been without winger Logan O’Connor all season as he works his way back from offseason hip surgery. However, as Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now relays, the 29-year-old is now dealing with another issue that head coach Jared Bednar says is still being evaluated. The team hopes to know more about his status within the next week or two. While he has been cleared from the hip injury, it appears that Colorado will be without one of their key bottom-six forwards for a while yet. O’Connor is currently on LTIR although the Avs have a low enough team payroll at the moment that they’re not actually using it at the moment.
- Meanwhile, the news is better for winger Joel Kiviranta. The 29-year-old exited Thursday’s game with an eye issue but Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports mentions (Twitter link) that Kiviranta will suit up tonight against Nashville. Kiviranta had a breakout year for the Avalanche last season, scoring 16 goals in 79 games but offense has been harder to come by this year as he has been limited to just a goal and an assist in 14 outings so far.
Avalanche To Activate Joel Kiviranta From Injured Reserve
The Avalanche have cleared left-winger Joel Kiviranta to play and expect to activate him from injured reserve before tomorrow’s game against the Sharks, head coach Jared Bednar told reporters (including Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now). The Avs had two open roster spots after reassigning Tristen Nielsen and Jason Polin to AHL Colorado yesterday, so no corresponding move is required.
Kiviranta has been out of commission since Oct. 16, having sustained a lower-body injury in the fifth game of the season. He’s back far earlier than anyone expected. Colorado only officially termed him out indefinitely, and multiple reports relayed the Avalanche initially weren’t expecting him back until after the New Year. Instead, he’ll be able to re-enter the lineup in under two months, an important feat for a team down three regular forwards in Gavin Brindley, Valeri Nichushkin, and Logan O’Connor.
The 29-year-old is now in his third season in Denver. He was initially brought in on a PTO in 2023 and was subsequently released to their AHL club, but they ended up signing him to an NHL contract in November. He’s signed two subsequent one-year deals to remain with the Avs. Last year was by far the best performance of the Finn’s seven-year NHL career. Usually cast as a dependable 13th forward, Kiviranta played all but three games for Colorado and scored a career-high 16 goals and 23 points, even working his way into top-nine minutes at times while finishing third on the team with 114 hits.
The return of captain Gabriel Landeskog to the lineup and the Avs’ offseason work meant Kiviranta was in for a reduced role this year, and his usage through five games reflected that. His ice time decreased from 12:31 per game last year to 10:47, and he was held without a point.
Even with Kiviranta back, the demotions of Nielsen and Polin mean they’re set to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen against San Jose unless they recall a forward tomorrow. He’ll be centered by Zakhar Bardakov while someone from the Avs’ top-nine double shifts on the opposite wing.
Joel Kiviranta Out Indefinitely; Avalanche Assign Jack Ahcan To AHL
The Avalanche will be without a veteran winger as they take on Boston tonight. The team announced (Twitter link) that winger Joel Kiviranta is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. In a separate move, the club also announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Jack Ahcan has been reassigned to AHL Colorado.
Kiviranta is coming off a career showing in 2024-25. After only reaching the double-digit plateau once before (an 11-point effort in 2020-21), the 29-year-old potted 16 goals last season along with seven assists while also averaging a career-high 12:31 per game of ice time. That helped him eventually earn a new contract with a small raise as he re-signed a one-year, $1.25MM deal back in August.
However, he has been quieter in the early going so far this season. Through five games, Kiviranta has been held off the scoresheet and has managed just three shots on goal while his playing time has dipped by nearly two minutes a night despite still taking a regular turn on their penalty kill. Now, he’ll be waiting a while to put up his first point on the season as head coach Jared Bednar clarified to reporters including Aarif Dean of Colorado Hockey Now that Kiviranta will be out several weeks at a minimum.
As for Ahcan, he was recalled from the Eagles on Sunday following a strong start that saw him put up four points in his first two AHL appearances. However, he didn’t see any action during this recall, keeping his career NHL total at 11.
With these moves, the Avs have just a dozen healthy forwards and six healthy blueliners. While that’s optical from the perspective of accruing as much cap space as possible, it’s a strategy that certainly carries some risk as well when it comes to injury exposure. Accordingly, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the team make at least one recall from the minors before too long.
Avalanche Re-Sign Joel Kiviranta
The Avalanche announced that they’ve re-signed forward Joel Kiviranta to a one-year deal. The deal is worth $1.25MM against the cap, AJ Haefele of DNVR Sports reports.
Kiviranta, 29, returns to Colorado on the heels of a career year. The winger set career highs in goals (16), assists (7), points (23), appearances (79), and average time on ice (12:31) in 2024-25. He now signs his third consecutive one-year deal with the Avs in free agency after initially joining the organization on an AHL contract in 2023.
On a per-game basis, though, that’s not too far off from his career averages. Kiviranta, who initially made the jump to North America in 2019 with the Stars as an undrafted free agent, has consistently produced at a 15-to-20-point clip per 82 games, albeit usually in lesser minutes. That increased deployment this season, getting more consistent reps while also seeing some looks in the Avs’ top nine, helps explain the boost in production. His 19.0% shooting rate, well above his career average of 10.9%, had something to do with that as well.
Nonetheless, the Finnish winger has firmly established his floor as a defensively responsible plug-and-play fourth-line piece. Despite his smallish 5’11”, 185-lb frame, he finished third on the Avs last season with 114 hits with some of the better even-strength possession impacts on the club.
While the Avs still have some holes in their middle and bottom-six forward group to fill, retaining Kiviranta is a significant step toward relaxing the strain on some inexperienced or overtaxed depth pieces who likely would have needed to shoulder regular minutes out of the gate otherwise, especially with checking winger Logan O’Connor starting the year on injured reserve. As things stand, Kiviranta could get a crack at third-line minutes on opening night if younger names like the recently acquired Daniil Gushchin or Ivan Ivan don’t command those minutes with a strong training camp performance.
Image courtesy of Sergei Belski-Imagn Images.
Free Agent Profile: Joel Kiviranta
Perhaps no remaining free agent is harder to gauge than forward Joel Kiviranta, who flashed unexpected scoring touch last season with the Colorado Avalanche that vastly deviated from his career norm. In 79 games last season, Kiviranta produced 16 goals, doubling his previous career high of eight goals during the 2022-23 season with the Dallas Stars. The 29-year-old native of Finland was aided by a 19 percent shooting percentage, nearly doubling his career average of 10.9 percent.
With that said, he made the most of his career-high 12:31 average ice time, which included setting career highs in goals, assists, points, plus/minus rating, faceoff percentage, and blocked shots. He also recorded 114 hits—the second-highest total of his career—and contributed on the penalty kill, notching his second career shorthanded goal last season. Although he achieved career-high marks in the regular season, things came to a halt in the postseason, as Kiviranta posted zero points across seven games while averaging 10:05 of ice time per game.
While his shooting success from last season is nearly impossible to sustain, he could still appeal to a team looking for a veteran presence in its bottom six who can contribute offensively. Remarkably, his 16 goals last season rank second among all remaining free agents, trailing only Jack Roslovic.
Stats
2024-25: 79 GP, 16 G, 7 A, 23 PTS, +15, 20 PIMS, 84 shots, 12:31 ATOI, 46.7 CF%
Career: 298 GP, 35 G, 25 A, 60 PTS, +1, 92 PIMS, 320 shots, 11:16 ATOI, 47.7 CF%
Potential Suitors
As previously discussed, Kiviranta’s 16 goals last season are likely more of an aberration than an expectation moving forward. This likely leaves him seeking a fourth-line role, with the potential to move up the lineup if needed. To that end, a wide range of teams could kick the tires on adding the veteran, at a minimum to compete for a roster spot.
While this time of year is ideal for rebuilding teams to pick up veterans with hopes of flipping them at the deadline for assets, Kiviranta likely doesn’t fit into that strategy. His best path to a new contract may lie with a contending team in need of a veteran depth piece—like his most recent employer, the Avalanche. A reunion isn’t out of the question.
Projected Contract
It’s hard to believe, after a 16-goal season, that Kiviranta’s contract may be similar to last year’s $775,000 deal he signed with Colorado, but here we are. This late into free agency, his best opportunity may come without a guaranteed roster spot on opening night. Even so, given his experience, physicality, and ability to contribute on the penalty kill, he could still earn a one-year, one-way deal.
Photo credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Poll: Top Remaining Free Agent
More than two weeks into NHL free agency, it’s no surprise that the top-tier players on the market have already secured deals. In fact, many secondary and depth signings have also been completed. According to PuckPedia, 244 contracts have been signed, totaling just over $1 billion.
Still, there are a few recognizable names left on the open market who could make positive contributions at the NHL level. Let’s take a look at the list and assess who’s most likely to succeed.
D Matt Grzelcyk – Believe it or not, Grzelcyk’s 40 points last season is tops among all remaining free agents. After spending eight seasons with the Boston Bruins, Grzelcyk signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins last offseason. After a slow start in Pittsburgh, Grzelcyk hit his stride and showcased his highest career point total despite scoring just one goal on the year. The 31-year-old left-shot defenseman should give a team a reliable option on a third pairing. In 527 career games, Grzelcyk has posted 175 points and a plus-131 rating. With a thinning market for blue liners remaining, he should find a new home soon.
F Jack Roslovic – Despite a 20-plus goal season last year, center Jack Roslovic is still searching for a new home. After signing a one-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes last offseason, Roslovic posted 22 goals and 39 points on the year, while adding one goal and four points in nine playoff games. While Roslovic showcased an incredible turnaround in the faceoff circle with a 54.1 percent win rate (compared to his career average of 44.4), his 13:49 average ice time per game was his lowest since 2018-19. He also had a career-high 63 giveaways last season. While the Maple Leafs expressed interest in Roslovic earlier in free agency, the forward remains unsigned.
F Victor Olofsson – While Olofsson struggled to stay healthy last season (a common theme for his career), the 29-year-old winger produced 15 goals and 29 points in 56 games for the Vegas Golden Knights. That put Olofsson on an 82-game pace of 22 goals and 42 points, which would have been the most he’s scored since notching his career-high 49 points in the 2021-22 season. He also chipped in two goals and four points in nine playoff games. Olofsson has produced three career 20-plus goal campaigns, including 28 with the Buffalo Sabres during the 2022-23 campaign. He could provide quality depth scoring, and perhaps even more if he stays healthy. The native of Sweden has played more than 72 games in a season just once (75 in 2022–23).
F Joel Kiviranta – While Kiviranta produced 16 goals in 79 games this season with the Colorado Avalanche, it far exceeded what he’s showcased throughout the rest of his NHL career. Last season, Kiviranta posted a 19 percent shooting percentage, nearly doubling his career average of 10.9 percent. With that said, he made the most of his career-high 12:31 average ice time, which included setting career highs in goals, assists, points, plus/minus rating, faceoff percentage, and blocked shots. However, the well dried up in the postseason, as Kiviranta went scoreless in seven games. In 298 career games, the 29-year-old Kiviranta has produced 35 goals and 60 points.
F Luke Kunin – The last remaining free agent who produced double digit goal scoring last season is Kunin, who lit the lamp 11 times in 63 games for the San Jose Sharks before being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets at the deadline. While Kunin’s time in Colombus didn’t prove to be a good fit (zero points in 12 games), he has proven to be a quality physical presence throughout his eight-year career, and the 27-year-old has received interest from several teams during free agency.
F Robby Fabbri – When healthy, Fabbri has been a solid contributor throughout his nine-year NHL career. However, like Olofsson, Fabbri has struggled to stay on the ice. That was no different last season with the Anaheim Ducks, where Fabbri fought through knee surgery and a hand injury that took away nearly half his season. He ended up posting eight goals and 16 assists in 44 games. The 29-year-old does have four seasons of at least 15 goals under his belt but has never played more than 72 games in a season. In 442 career games, Fabbri has produced 106 goals and 216 points.
Let us know below which remaining free agent will make the most significant impact in the 2025-26 season.
How Will The Colorado Avalanche Re-Tool This Summer?
After one of the busiest trade deadlines since their run to a Stanley Cup championship in 2022, the Colorado Avalanche fell short this spring, losing in Round One to the Dallas Stars. Last week, Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette analyzed six pending unrestricted free agents that the team could look to keep for next year’s iteration of the roster.
Despite shedding Mikko Rantanen‘s $9.25MM salary and not retaining him beyond this season, Rawal correctly points out that Colorado only has $8.7MM in salary cap space heading into the summer with 18 players already signed. Given their financial flexibility, it’s unlikely the Avalanche will re-sign Brock Nelson, Jonathan Drouin, Ryan Lindgren, Joel Kiviranta, Jimmy Vesey, and Erik Johnson.
If Colorado doesn’t bring back Nelson, they’ll again peruse the trade and free agent markets for a second-line center. He performed mildly well upon joining the Avalanche, scoring six goals and 13 points in 19 games, with another four assists in seven postseason contests. However, Nelson reportedly spurned a three-year, $22.5MM offer from the New York Islanders, meaning he’d leave Colorado with very little wiggle room if he were to sign a similar contract.
Being a limited center class in the free-agent market, the Avalanche would likely turn to the trade market to fill the gap. Unfortunately, after trading away several assets at the 2024-25 trade deadline, they’ll have little to offer other teams for a true second-line middleman.
It is unlikely that Colorado will re-sign Lindgren beyond this season unless he agrees to a significantly lower salary than his current $4.5MM. Lindgren’s future with the team could tie together with the health status of defenseman Josh Manson, who missed a large chunk of the 2024-25 season due to injury. If the Avalanche are confident Manson will open the 2025-26 season on the team’s long-term injured reserve, they may be interested in retaining Lindgren and his similar playstyle.
The last player Rawal believes the Avalanche will shy away from is Kiviranta. It’s not so much that Kiviranta wasn’t valuable to Colorado during the 2024-25 season, but because it’ll be hard to predict which player they’re getting. Kiviranta exploded for 16 goals in 79 games this season with a 19.0% shooting percentage, offering the Avalanche flexibility to move him up and down the lineup. Still, it may be unwise to significantly raise Kiviranta’s salary, considering he averaged an 8.1% shooting percentage over 219 games from 2019 to 2024.
The trio Rawal believes will likely stay in Colorado for at least the next season includes Drouin, Vesey, and Johnson. Drouin spurned longer-term offers last summer to re-up on a one-year, $2.5MM deal with the Avalanche this year. There’s a good chance Drouin’s injury history will drive other teams away from offering long-term deals this summer, meaning Colorado could re-sign him again on a below-market deal.
Vesey and Johnson should be available at a low price, but they might choose to leave on their own accord. Vesey was very outspoken about his discontent with the New York Rangers for lack of playing time, and none of that changed in Denver. Meanwhile, although Johnson has spent much of his career in Colorado and has publicly shown his admiration for the organization, he’s a prime retirement candidate this offseason.
Central Notes: Manson, Kiviranta, Sissons, Schenn, Määttä
The Colorado Avalanche will have one injured member back for their road trip through the Midwest, but no more. Forward Joel Kiviranta has fully recovered from his lower-body injury and will return for the road trip, but defenseman Josh Manson will stay in Denver due to an upper-body injury, according to Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette.
Kiviranta has missed Colorado’s last three games, with the team managing a 1-1-1 record in his absence. Despite being in his second year with the organization, he’s offered extraordinary flexibility to the Avalanche’s forward core this season. Kiviranta has demonstrated the ability to play up and down the lineup, putting up a career-high 16 goals in 72 games this season while averaging 12:30 of ice time per game.
Meanwhile, Manson has been continuously plagued by a lower-body injury for much of the 2024-25 campaign. Given that Colorado only has seven games remaining on their schedule, there’s a decent chance Manson may not play another regular season contest for them this season. If that’s the case, he’ll finish the year with one goal and 15 points in 48 games, averaging 18:02 of ice time per game.
Other notes from the Central Division:
- After sustaining a leg injury a few days ago against the Vegas Golden Knights, Nashville Predators’ forward Colton Sissons‘ season may have already ended. According to general manager Barry Trotz (and publicized by Nick Kieser of 102.5 The Game), the second-year front office leader said a decision regarding Sissons’ status is coming relatively soon. Kieser quoted Trotz saying, “I would probably say he’s close to not being back for the rest of the season.“
- Winnipeg Jets’ analyst Mitchell Clinton reported earlier that defenseman Luke Schenn is a game-time decision against the Los Angeles Kings. Clinton didn’t allude to the specifics regarding Schenn, but he did mention that Schenn left early from the team’s morning skate. Should he miss tonight’s contest, the Jets will likely contextualize Schenn’s absence after the game.
- Joining Schenn as a game-time decision will be Utah Hockey Club’s Olli Määttä (Tweet Link). Määttä had been dealing with a lower-body injury, which kept him out of the team’s recent matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. However, even if he doesn’t feature in tonight’s game, it shouldn’t keep him out of the lineup much longer. The Finnish blueliner has scored two goals and 15 points in 63 games for Utah since being acquired from the Detroit Red Wings in late October.