The Colorado Avalanche may be getting some depth back sooner rather than later.
According to Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports, Zachary L’Heureux and Logan O’Connor both skated with the team this morning, though neither will be in the lineup tonight. The expectation is that both forwards should be back very soon.
L’Heureux, 23, arrived in Colorado in late June through a trade with the Nashville Predators. His first season with the Avalanche was interrupted by injuries, and he ended up with four goals and five points in 25 regular-season games. The former first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft is working his way back from a lower-body injury he suffered in preseason.
O’Connor is also dealing with a lower-body injury, one he picked up in Colorado’s final preseason game ahead of the 2026-27 season. He, too, has been limited by health issues recently, appearing in just 13 games last season. When he’s been available, though, O’Connor has been a valuable penalty killer and has shown he can reach double-digit goals.
Elsewhere in the Central Division, Bowen Byram will not get his return to Buffalo tonight. Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News reported that Byram is sitting out against the Sabres because of a family matter. The former fourth-overall pick has played two games with the Blackhawks so far and has not recorded a point, while averaging 24:59 of ice time per game.
The Winnipeg Jets were also missing Gabriel Vilardi at practice this morning. Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press reported that Vilardi was given a maintenance day. It stands out a bit this early in the season, especially after Vilardi posted one assist and a minus-2 rating in Winnipeg’s opening-night loss to the Boston Bruins last night.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Face Early Pressure As Defense Gets Shaken Up Again
The Blackhawks reach the final stop of their season-opening three-game road trip in Buffalo with the blue line already getting a different look than the one they planned to open with. Chicago is coming off a loss and now has to navigate KeyBank Center without Bowen Byram, while the Sabres are also trying to bounce back and pick up their first home win of the season.
Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro are set to make their season debuts, adding another layer of change to a defense group that is still sorting itself out this early in the schedule. Sam Rinzel will be scratched, which only underscores how quickly the Blackhawks are being forced to adjust while facing a Buffalo team eager to capitalize on home ice. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Already Face One Early Problem In Buffalo
The Blackhawks are still sorting out the shape of their season after an opening trip that brought losses in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, and now the schedule sends them into Buffalo for their third game. Chicago has had trouble finding its footing at both ends so far, with the early results reflecting a team that has not yet settled into a rhythm offensively or defensively.
The bigger question hovering over this stretch is how long the club can get by while key pieces remain on the sideline. Connor Bedard has not been part of either of the first two games, which leaves Chicago trying to generate enough push without its most dynamic talent, even as some of the organizations prospects have been turning heads in recent exhibition and minor league action. Bowen Byram enters the year as one of the more intriguing breakout candidates, but the Blackhawks still need the group on the ice to start looking like a team that can turn promising names into actual results. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Prospect Pipeline Takes Shape With A Telling Rockford Roster
The Rockford IceHogs have put their opening roster on the board for the 2026-27 season, offering an early glimpse at how the Chicago Blackhawks prospect pipeline is coming together at the AHL level. Their season opens Oct. 3 against the Milwaukee Admirals, and the group includes a mix of returning veterans along with players signed or assigned from Chicago, giving head coach Jared Nightingale a chance to reset after last seasons uneven finish.
What stands out most is the shape of the roster, especially with changes in the defense and goaltending groups that suggest Rockford is trying to become steadier from the back end forward. For the Blackhawks, that matters just as much as the results in the standings, because this is where younger players are supposed to learn how to handle a heavier workload and prove they can be part of the next wave. [Read more 🡒]