Manson (upper body) will likely be out week-to-week, Brennan Vogt of Mile High Hockey reports Sunday.
Manson didn't play Sunday against Dallas after sustaining his upper-body injury Friday in Calgary. Sam Malinski should see an uptick in ice time while Manson is on the shelf, and Erik Johnson could play more consistently on the third pairing, though Keaton Middleton will be in the mix for minutes as well.
Manson (upper body) won't play against Dallas on Sunday, according to Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette.
Manson will miss at least one game after being injured in Friday's 4-2 win over Calgary. He has produced one goal, 15 points, 65 shots on net, 59 blocked shots and 105 hits in 48 appearances this season. Manson will be replaced in Sunday's lineup by Sam Malinski.
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Avalanche's Scott Wedgewood: Starting again Sunday
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Wedgewood will protect the home net against Dallas on Sunday, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.
Wedgewood has stopped 74 of 77 shots during his three-game winning streak and is coming off a 22-save performance in Friday's 4-2 win over Calgary. He has posted a record of 8-4-0 with a 2.03 GAA and a .921 save percentage in 13 appearances with Colorado this season. Despite occupying the backup role in Friday's game, Mackenzie Blackwood may still not be well enough to start because of an illness. Dallas ranks fourth in the league with 3.38 goals per game in 2024-25.
Drury notched an assist in Friday's 4-2 win over the Flames.
Drury snapped a four-game point drought with his helper on Parker Kelly's second-period tally. After getting traded to the Avalanche in late January, Drury initially filled a third-line role, but he's been bumped down to the fourth line following the team's acquisition of Charlie Coyle at the deadline. Drury now has 14 points, 84 shots on net, 38 blocked shots and a plus-1 rating across 57 appearances this season.
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Avalanche's Logan O'Connor: Manages helper in win
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O'Connor notched an assist in Friday's 4-2 win over the Flames.
O'Connor snapped a five-game point drought and earned his first helper since Jan. 14 versus the Rangers. The 28-year-old forward has been shuffled down to the fourth line after the Avalanche's trade-deadline moves, and he'll likely struggle for ice time over the rest of the campaign. He's at 16 points, 73 shots on net, 54 hits, 41 blocked shots and a minus-7 rating through 66 appearances, putting him at risk of missing the 20-point mark for the first time in four seasons.
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Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Sets up empty-netter
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Girard produced an assist in Friday's 4-2 win over the Flames.
Girard obtained the puck and set up Valeri Nichushkin on the Avalanche's empty-netter to close out the scoring. The 26-year-old Girard picked up some slack Friday when Josh Manson (upper body) left the contest, and he'd likely have the most ice time to gain if Manson misses additional time. This was Girard's second straight game with a helper after an 11-game point drought. He's at 22 points, 79 shots on net, 89 blocked shots, 52 hits and a plus-7 rating over 64 appearances.
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Avalanche's Ross Colton: Provides two more helpers
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Colton notched a pair of assists, two shots on goal, three hits, three blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Friday's 4-2 win over the Flames.
Colton has benefited from the Avalanche's improved forward depth following the trade deadline, earning five assists over his last four contests. The 28-year-old remains on the second power-play unit, but all of those helpers have come at even strength. For the season, he's up to 15 goals, 10 assists, 107 shots on net, 125 hits, 37 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating over 50 appearances.
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Avalanche's Ryan Lindgren: Nets goal in Friday's win
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Lindgren scored a goal on two shots, added two PIM, logged two hits, blocked three shots and went plus-3 in Friday's 4-2 win over the Flames.
Lindgren had a strong all-around effort in the contest. The 27-year-old could also see more minutes moving forward after Josh Manson (upper body) left the contest after two periods. Lindgren has two points over his last four outings and is up to 21 points, 50 shots on net, 62 hits, 111 blocked shots, 38 PIM and a plus-5 rating over 60 appearances between the Rangers and the Avalanche this season. He'll continue to fill a shutdown role in Colorado's top four.
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Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin: Pots empty-netter
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Nichushkin scored an empty-net goal on two shots and added two hits in Friday's 4-2 win over the Flames.
Nichushkin helped the Avalanche fend off a late comeback attempt by the Flames. The goal was his first since he had a hat trick last Saturday versus the Maple Leafs. The 30-year-old winger is up to 16 goals, 24 points, 75 shots on net, 28 hits and a plus-10 rating over 29 appearances this season, mainly in a second-line role.
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Avalanche's Parker Kelly: Tallies twice in win
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Kelly scored two goals on three shots and went plus-2 in Friday's 4-2 win over the Flames.
Kelly put the Avalanche ahead 2-0 in the second period and struck again in the third for what was ultimately the game-winning goal. The 25-year-old forward had gone 20 games without scoring, adding just four assists in that span, and he was scratched Monday versus the Blackhawks. Kelly may not be a lock for the lineup moving forward as the Avalanche also have Miles Wood and Jimmy Vesey competing for fourth-line minutes. For the season, Kelly is at seven goals and 17 points, one off his career high in each category. He's added 76 shots on net, 124 hits, 54 blocked shots and a minus-6 rating over 66 appearances.
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Avalanche's Scott Wedgewood: Gives up two goals in win
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Wedgewood allowed two goals on 24 shots in Friday's 4-2 win over the Flames.
Wedgewood gave up both goals in the third period, but the Avalanche were able to answer each of those tallies in short order. This was Wedgewood's third straight win in March, and he's allowed just three goals on 77 shots for the month. Overall, the 32-year-old netminder is at 9-6-1 with a 2.46 GAA and a .908 save percentage over 18 appearances between the Avalanche and the Predators this season. Mackenzie Blackwood was ill Friday but was still able to back up, and he'll likely get the nod for Sunday's home game versus the Stars.
Manson (upper body) won't return to Friday's game versus the Flames, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.
Manson was partially able to play through the injury in the second period, but didn't take the ice in the third. The 33-year-old defenseman might miss Sunday's game versus the Stars. If that happens, Sam Malinski would likely rejoin the lineup after being scratched Friday.
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Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Set for backup duties
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Blackwood (illness) took the ice for warmups ahead of Friday's game versus the Flames, indicating he'll dress as the backup goalie.
Scott Wedgewood will start Friday's contest. Blackwood wasn't feeling well early in the day, but he's improved enough to be available in a pinch. The 28-year-old netminder will probably be able to start Sunday in a big Central Division showdown versus the Stars.
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Avalanche's Scott Wedgewood: Starting in Calgary
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Wedgewood will guard the visiting net in Calgary on Friday, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.
Wedgewood will replace Mackenzie Blackwood who is under the weather, but should still be well enough to back up Wedgewood. Wedgewood is coming off a 20-save shutout over Chicago on Monday, giving him a 7-4-0 record with a pair of shutouts in 12 games with Colorado this season. The Flames are generating 2.56 goals per game in 2024-25, the lowest in the NHL.
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Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Battling illness
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Blackwood is dealing with an illness Friday, according to Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette.
Scott Wedgewood will start Friday in Calgary because Blackwood isn't 100 percent. What remains to be seen is if Blackwood will still dress as the backup netminder. The Avalanche have only two goaltenders on their roster, so they would have to recall a goaltender or use an emergency netminder if Blackwood is ultimately unavailable. The 28-year-old Blackwood has a 24-16-6 record, 2.50 GAA and .914 save percentage in 47 appearances between San Jose and Colorado this season.
Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Snaps slump with helper
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Girard provided an assist and two shots on goal in Tuesday's 2-1 shootout loss to the Wild.
Girard had gone 11 games without a point prior to Tuesday. His role has been shrinking -- he was under 20 minutes of ice time for a third straight game, though he still finished with more (18:32) than Ryan Lindgren (16:08) as the two compete for time in the bottom four on the left side of the Avalanche's defense. Girard has limited fantasy upside, but he has produced 21 points, 79 shots on net, 88 blocked shots, 52 hits and a plus-7 rating across 63 appearances this season.
