The Colorado Avalanche have added some extra insurance on defense ahead of their next two games, recalling Keaton Middleton from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, according to a team announcement.
Middleton is not expected to suit up against the Chicago Blackhawks or the Columbus Blue Jackets, but he could stick around as Colorado’s seventh defenseman. The move comes as the Avalanche deal with a deeper hit on the blue line. Meghan Angley of Altitude reported Thursday that Josh Manson will be out for the next two months because of an ankle injury.
With Manson sidelined, veteran Noah Juulsen, whom Colorado signed this past offseason, has already stepped into the regular rotation. Given that the Avalanche are heading into a pair of road games, the extra depth makes sense if another injury pops up.
For Middleton, this is a familiar spot. The 28-year-old Edmonton, AB, native has been in the Avalanche organization since the 2020-21 season after spending a few years with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda. Since arriving from San Jose, he has mostly played for the Eagles, where he has 15 goals and 74 points in 308 games with a +46 rating.
He has also had brief NHL looks with Colorado in the 2020-21 and 2025-26 seasons, but his biggest opportunity came in 2024-25. That season gave Middleton the most NHL action of his career, though it came during a brutal year for the Avalanche.
Colorado was hit so hard by injuries that it used 43 different players and six different goaltenders over the course of the season. Middleton closed that year with two assists in 41 games, a net-zero rating, and 11:29 of ice time per game.
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