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Josh Manson

Colorado Avalanche Issue Multiple Injury Updates

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Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar was busy with the media today, issuing multiple updates on the team’s swath of injured players.

Most notably, Bednar still has no timeline for a return on captain Gabriel Landeskog, who’s missed the entire season with a knee injury. Bednar called Landeskog’s recovery a “slow-moving process,” There remains no guarantee he will play at all this season.

There’s also the matter of veteran defenseman Erik Johnson, who’s been out for almost a month since sustaining a broken ankle in a game on February 11. His initial timeline for recovery was eight to 10 weeks, and although he remains on that timeline, Bednar said he was “startled” by Johnson’s quick recovery progress. Johnson skated today for the second time since sustaining the injury, and Bednar is hopeful his return will come closer to the eight-week mark, right at the end of the regular season.

Another tenured skater has missed most of the season for Colorado – two-time Stanley Cup champion Darren Helm has played just five games all year. Although he’s returned to skating at practice, Bednar’s only update was that he’s “cautiously optimistic” Helm will play again this season. Helm was an important fourth-line piece for Colorado last year, recording five points in 20 games en route to the Cup.

Defenseman Josh Manson is still dealing with a reaggravated lower-body injury that kept him out for 31 games earlier in the year, but Bednar sees his return is on the horizon. He remains hopeful Manson will return by the end of the month, giving him a chance to get his feet back under him before the playoffs start. An important defensive presence for Colorado, Manson has played just 27 games during the first season of a four-year, $4.5MM average annual value contract.

On a less positive note, backup goalie Pavel Francouz is recovering slower than expected from a lower-body injury that’s kept him out since mid-February. Francouz has now passed the expected recovery timeline of three weeks, but Bednar is hopeful he will return before the end of the season. Colorado has rotated backups in his place, recalling Keith Kinkaid, Jonas Johansson, and Justus Annunen at times.

Avalanche Activate Cale Makar, Josh Manson Out Indefinitely

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The Avalanche are getting some good news and some bad news regarding their back end.  NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding relays that Cale Makar has been activated off injured reserve and will play today against Dallas.  However, Josh Manson’s lower-body injury sustained on Wednesday is going to keep him out for a while; Boulding lists him as out week to week.

Makar is returning from his second stint in concussion protocol in a matter of weeks with this one keeping him out for the last five games.  Fortunately for both him and the Avs, he told reporters including Kyle Frederickson of the Denver Gazette (Twitter link) that the symptoms were “very, very mild”.

When healthy, the 24-year-old is one of the premier offensive defensemen in the NHL and is hovering around the point-per-game mark with 13 goals and 32 assists in 46 games so far while averaging 26:57 per night, a career-high.  Makar will undoubtedly be a big boost for their back end, especially on the power play.

As for Manson, his first full season with Colorado has not gone according to plan.  Injuries have limited the 31-year-old to just 27 games so far in 2022-23 which is not what anyone was hoping for as he begins a four-year, $18MM deal.  At this point, the Avalanche are likely just hoping that he’ll be able to get back late in the season to get ready for the playoffs next month.  Even with his absence, there are seven blueliners on the active roster so no recall from AHL Colorado is likely.

Colorado Avalanche Activate Josh Manson

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The Colorado Avalanche activated defenseman Josh Manson from injured reserve Wednesday, per CapFriendly.

Manson returns after missing over two months and 31 games with a lower-body injury. The move couldn’t come at a better time, as Colorado was down to no lineup-regular right-shot defenders after placing Erik Johnson on injured reserve earlier this week.

A high-end shutdown defenseman, Manson excelled in last year’s Stanley Cup-winning playoff run after a trade deadline move from the Anaheim Ducks. He made a sizable offensive impact on top of his normally steady defensive play, recording eight points in 20 games.

Nearing his 500th NHL game after a largely injury-plagued career, Manson will return to a second-pairing role alongside youngster Bowen Byram. Before going down with the injury, Manson had two goals, four assists, and six points in 21 games while averaging 16:57 per game. Expect that second figure to increase as the season progresses.

Manson, 31, is in the first season of a four-year, $18MM extension signed with Colorado last offseason. He’s slated to make his first appearance of the 2023 calendar year tonight in Minnesota.

Colorado Places Josh Manson On IR

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The injury list continues to grow for the Avalanche as the team confirmed to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link) that defenseman Josh Manson has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to Thursday.  He has left the team to be re-evaluated and is listed as week-to-week.

The 31-year-old is in his first full year with the Avs after being acquired in a trade near the deadline from Anaheim last season.  After being a top-four defender with Anaheim, Colorado has opted to use Manson in a bit of a lower role so far as he’s logging just shy of 17 minutes per game (a career low) through his first 21 contests.  Despite that, he has chipped in with six points while averaging more than two hits per contest.

Andreas Englund, who was recalled from AHL Colorado yesterday, is taking Manson’s spot on the active roster.

The defending Stanley Cup champions have been hit hard by the injury bug this season.  Gabriel Landeskog and Darren Helm are on LTIR while Valeri Nichushkin, Kurtis MacDermid, and Shane Bowers will join Manson on injured reserve.  Meanwhile, Evan Rodrigues and Bowen Byram are also currently injured but remain on Colorado’s active roster.  In spite of all the injuries, the Avalanche enter tonight’s game against Boston with 27 points in 21 games, good enough to place them third in the Central Division.

Josh Manson Expected To Re-Sign With Avalanche

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One of Colorado’s key trade deadline acquisitions is set to stick around.  As first reported by Peter Baugh of The Athletic (Twitter link), the Avalanche have agreed to terms on a new contract with defenseman Josh Manson.  Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that it’s a four-year, $18MM contract which results in a $4.5MM AAV.

The 30-year-old was brought in from Anaheim just before the trade deadline in exchange for defenseman prospect Drew Helleson and a 2023 second-round pick in an effort to shore up the back of their defense corps.  Manson was able to do just that, playing a key role in helping Colorado win the Stanley Cup last month and was ranked 16th in our Top 50 UFA list.

Last season, Manson played in 67 games between Anaheim and Colorado, picking up six goals and ten assists.  While he had a 37-point season back in 2017-18, the 16 points he had in 2021-22 is closer to the typical production that he puts up which limited the upside of his market.  However, he was still able to land a small raise from the $4.1MM he had on his last contract with another four-year commitment.

The Avalanche will have an impressive back end next season with Manson sticking with an impressive young core that features Cale Makar, Samuel Girard, and Bowen Byram that are all 24 or younger and Devon Toews who has emerged as a high-end defender in his own right since joining Colorado.  With Erik Johnson still in the fold, that’s one of the stronger and deeper defense corps in the league which should give plenty of support to new starter Alexandar Georgiev.

With this agreement and the one given to Darren Helm earlier today, Colorado now has a little over $9MM in remaining cap space per CapFriendly with Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky both set to hit the open market in less than an hour.  Barring a significant trade, it’s unlikely that either of them will re-sign with the bulk of their remaining camp room likely being earmarked for restricted free agent winger Artturi Lehkonen.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

More On Josh Manson Trade

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Of course the team to jumpstart a stagnant trade market is none other than the NHL’s very best. The league-leading Colorado Avalanche made a big move on Monday night to acquire defenseman Josh Manson from the Anaheim Ducks. They weren’t the only team looking to pry the big blue liner away though. A number of clubs have been linked to Manson, including the Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs, the latter of whom seemingly got close to adding him. Sportsnet’s Nick Alberga reports that Manson was unwilling to waive his trade protection to go to Toronto, which implies that the Leafs got close enough that the Ducks approached the veteran defender about the possibility. Manson has just a limited No-Trade Clause – a twelve-team no-trade list. It seems that the Maple Leafs were among those dozen undesirable landing spots. It is unclear whether the team has been a long-standing member of that list or a more recent addition given their current struggles.

  • The Manson trade shows that the Anaheim Ducks are officially sellers. The team has exceeded expectations this season and have continued to stick around the Western Conference playoff picture, but of late have slid outside of a reasonable chance of reaching the postseason this year. Any question as to their deadline position is now over, but the unknown remains to what extent they will sell. While Manson is a very talented player, he is not even among the top two potential rentals in Anaheim. That would be fellow defenseman Hampus Lindholm and skilled forward Rickard Rakell. Both of these players are core pieces for the Ducks and critical to their success and at 28 years old could each continue to play a major role for years to come. If Anaheim feels that they are close to contending following their strong start this season, then they could opt for extensions rather than trades for Lindholm and Rakell. Alas, Alberga reports that there are no ongoing contract negotiations with either player right now, which could imply that they will soon follow Manson out the door.
  • If and when the Ducks do move Lindholm, they have set the bar high for the rental defenseman market. Manson is the first and only proven top-four defenseman to be dealt so far this season and in return Anaheim landed a 2023 second-round pick and a well-regarded 2019 second-round pick in Boston College defenseman Drew Helleson, a top-five scorer for the Eagles. Though a solid defensive asset, Manson pales in comparison to the more well-rounded Lindholm, who might be the best defenseman on the trade market. An A-level prospect and a second-round pick, or even two second-round picks, is now the baseline to which Anaheim can refer when commanding a much better return for Lindholm. Around the league, the Canadiens, Kraken, and possibly the Stars will be happy to see the Manson return knowing that their top-four rentals – Ben Chiarot, Mark Giordano, and John Klingberg – may also garner an equal or greater return.
  • The Colorado Avalanche are not done either. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun was quick to note that the Manson acquisition is not all that GM Joe Sakic has in mind as he chases the Stanley Cup. Especially given the cap flexibility afforded by recent injuries to Gabriel Landeskog and Samuel Girard, the door is open in Denver. LeBrun still expects the team to take a swing at Philadelphia Flyers star Claude Giroux and have their eyes on other forwards as well.

Colorado Avalanche Acquire Josh Manson

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The Colorado Avalanche were rumored to be preparing for a big move, and a big move they have made. The Avalanche have acquired Josh Manson from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Drew Helleson and a 2023 second-round draft pick. The Ducks are retaining half of Manson’s remaining cap hit.

When it was announced over the weekend that Gabriel Landeskog is going to undergo surgery and Samuel Girard will be out at least a month, there was an immediate buzz around the Avalanche. Moving either of those players to long-term injured reserve would open up some significant cap space for Colorado to make an addition at the trade deadline. While they may not even be done, adding Manson show just how serious the Avalanche are this season as they chase the Stanley Cup.

In fact, even without moving players out the Avalanche can fit in Manson given the salary retention. The 30-year-old defenseman carries a $4.1MM cap hit in the final season of a four-year, $16.4MM contract signed in 2017. By keeping half, it makes Manson a relatively inexpensive financial asset for the Avalanche with just a small chunk of the season remaining.

A move like this also shines some light on what the market prices are like around the league, as even with the retention the Ducks were unable to secure a first-round selection. While the second-round pick is a good one–especially in 2023, a draft that is being heavily targeted in trade talks–the most interesting part of this trade might be the inclusion of Helleson. Selected 47th overall in 2019, the 20-year-old right-shooting defenseman has turned into a star at Boston College and recently took part in the Olympics for Team USA. Helleson still needs to be signed to an NHL contract after his college career comes to an end, but the Ducks very well could have found a direct replacement for Manson in the deal–one that is a decade younger.

Notably, Manson also held a 12-team no-trade clause, so he had some control over his deadline situation. New Ducks GM Pat Verbeek had been clear recently that while he hoped to re-sign his big pending free agents, if he wasn’t able to there would be no hesitation in trading them away. That’s in spite of the fact that Anaheim has been better than expected this season and could potentially still make the playoffs; Verbeek has a bigger prize than just the postseason on his mind when making deals like this.

Manson himself has taken a bit of a step backward in recent seasons, but is a prototypical playoff-style defenseman, always looking to use his physicality to wear down the opponent. He doesn’t provide nearly the same kind of offensive upside that a player like Girard brings, but he’ll immediately add some depth, toughness, and defensive acumen to the Avalanche group.

Kevin Weekes of NHL Network broke the news, while Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet confirmed the salary retention and draft pick details. 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Trade Rumors: Lindholm, Manson, Lehkonen

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With just a week now until the 2022 Trade Deadline, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun took the liberty of compiling a recap of the current standing of many big names who are in conversation to get moved within the next eight days. As injuries have complicated the trade potentials of players like Jakob Chychrun and John Klingberg, LeBrun notes that Anaheim Ducks blueliner Hampus Lindholm is now generating the most interest among pending UFA defensemen. The 28-year-old has stayed healthy this year and is once again playing in a top-pairing situation in Orange County. While some advanced metrics suggest his two-way play has taken a dip this season, he remains a great penalty killer and has experience playing against quality competition. LeBrun notes that general manager Pat Verbeek is likely to take “one last run” at an extension with Lindholm before focusing on a trade, though. If available, he’s likely one of the few rental defensemen on the market that can comfortably step into a top-four role on a contending team and provide his new club with an upgrade in that department. LeBrun singles out the Florida Panthers specifically as a team that’s “kept tabs” on Lindholm.

Some more notes on some deadline assets:

  • Josh Manson is another Duck on an expiring deal who could find a new home next week, likely with some added value as he’s a right-shot D. LeBrun says the Carolina Hurricanes are one of the teams that have checked in on Manson, but with their limited salary cap space at this point, getting a deal done may be tough. Any Manson/CAR trade would likely require a third team to broker the deal, adding to the acquisition cost for Carolina. At this moment in time, that acquisition cost is too high for the ’Canes, according to LeBrun.
  • As the Washington Capitals continue to putter, now likely locked in as the second Wild Card in the Eastern Conference, they’re looking to add to their forward group that’s seen significant injuries this year. LeBrun says Montreal’s Artturi Lehkonen is a name that makes sense, but with Montreal not in a rush to trade the pending RFA, it’ll likely mean Washington (or any other team) needs to yield a first-round pick to acquire him. Between that and a potential first-round pick that could head the other way in a Ben Chiarot trade, Montreal could be called up to the podium many times at their hometown 2022 NHL Draft.

Anaheim Ducks Activate Josh Manson, Place Sam Steel On Injured Reserve

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The Anaheim Ducks announced that they have activated defenseman Josh Manson off of injured reserve, and in a corresponding move, have placed forward Sam Steel on injured reserve. Manson will immediately draw back into the lineup as the Ducks play tonight at the New Jersey Devils.

Getting Manson back in the lineup is an important step for the Ducks, who are openly interested in either re-signing or trading the defenseman at the trade deadline. While an injured Manson is certainly not a barrier to an extension, getting him healthy and playing again allows the Ducks to show that he is fully healthy and ready to help another team, as well as an opportunity to showcase his talent once more before the deadline. The free-agent-to-be currently has seven points in 43 games for the Ducks while averaging 19:44 time-on-ice per game.

As for Steel, this will be his first stint on IR of the season. The 24-year-old forward is in the middle of what appears to be the best season of his career, totaling 17 points in 51 games, however this injury will force him to hold-off on his development for a little while.

Deadline Notes: Ducks Defensemen, Hagel, Giordano

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Earlier today on TSN’s Insider Trading segment, Anaheim Ducks’ defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson were hot topics. The Athletic writer and Insider for TSN, Pierre LeBrun, reported that Manson was nearing his return from injury and is being watched closely by teams around the league. LeBrun also noted that there have not been any contract talks yet between the Ducks and Manson, as the Ducks have been focusing on negotiations with Lindholm.

Speaking of those negotiations with Lindholm, word continues to be that Anaheim is unwilling to give out big-time term. The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli notes the Ducks’ unwillingness to give out term to any of their pending UFAs, and mentions this might be in-line with the trends of Ducks’ GM Pat Verbeek’s previous boss, Detroit Red Wings’ GM Steve Yzerman. Not beginning extension talks just yet with Manson may not be a concern for the Ducks, who currently have many cards to play at the deadline. In fact, Anaheim does leave itself in a preferable position, having both Lindholm and Manson as potential extension candidates and trade chips. This could allow Anaheim to try to negotiate an extension to their liking on one or both, but if that contract does not materialize, there will almost certainly be a strong market for both defensemen.

  • Also during the Insider Trading segment, TSN’s Darren Dreger provided an update on Chicago Blackhawks’ forward Brandon Hagel. Dreger mentions that while Chicago would like to keep Hagel as part of their rebuild, they would not be opposed to moving him. However, the return would have to be at least a first-round draft pick and something else. Hagel has been one of the better producers for the Blackhawks this season, scoring 17 goals along with 14 assists in 51 games entering Tuesday night’s game against the Ducks. While the asking price on Hagel might seem a bit excessive to some, the 23-year-old Hagel is viewed as part of the long-term solution in Chicago, and carries just a $1.5MM cap hit through the 2023-24 season, where he will still be a RFA.
  • During the second-intermission of the Toronto Maple Leafs game, Dreger again gave his thoughts on several key trade deadline topics, including Seattle Kraken defensemen Mark Giordano. Dreger reported that the Kraken would like to explore the trade market for Giordano, but their asking price on the veteran is at least a first-round pick. While this price may be steep for a 38-year-old with a $6.75MM cap hit, Giordano still produces at a high level, putting up 23 points in 52 games this season for the struggling Kraken. Giordano is also a responsible defenseman who can provide veteran leadership that is always valuable on a team looking to make a long run in the postseason. If Seattle is willing to retain some of Giordano’s cap hit, which would seem likely as they will have $36.66M in cap space on trade deadline day, they may be able to sweeten the pot to acquire that first-round pick at least.

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