The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars get thrown right back into the mix tonight and Wednesday, and even though the teams didn’t meet in last year’s playoffs, this stretch has all the ingredients to stir things up again. They face off in Dallas tonight before meeting again in Denver on Wednesday, and it’s fair to call these the biggest games either club has had so far.
But the on-ice schedule isn’t the only notable development around the Avalanche. Early Monday brought word that one of Colorado’s assistant coaching jobs could be in flux.
Dave Hakstol’s time behind the Avalanche bench appears to be winding down, with reports indicating he’s headed to ASU to lead their program. His exit could happen as soon as today or tomorrow, even though he’s with the team in Dallas right now.
Elsewhere around the league, Chicago is set to get a major lift tonight with Connor Bedard expected to make his season debut. The Blackhawks badly need the help, and his return changes the look of the lineup.
There’s also movement elsewhere in the NHL. Former Avalanche defenseman was traded to Buffalo from the Penguins.
In Boston, Charlie McAvoy has finished serving his six-game suspension and is ready to return. Philly’s rough start continued, as the Flyers have never gone through the first seven games of a season without a win until now.
And in New Jersey, the Devils are still searching for answers after another loss, this one coming against the red-hot Ottawa Senators.
In Other News...
Avalanche Catch A Break In Dallas But Face A Bigger Concern
The Avalanche are getting a little help from Dallas on a night when lineup depth already matters. Wyatt Johnston is out for the Stars because of an illness, ending his ironman streak and forcing Dallas to reshuffle its middle six, with Sam Steel bumped up to second center and defenseman Kyle Capobianco trying life up front.
Colorado, though, has its own bigger issue to manage. The Avalanche are already missing Zachary LHeureux to injury and Cale Makar for family reasons, leaving them with 17 skaters and a thinner margin for error than they would like as the game wears on. In a matchup like this, the absences may shape as much as the hockey itself. [Read more 🡒]
Former Avalanche Champion Hospitalized After Frightening In-Game Incident
Former Avalanche forward Nico Sturm was back in the headlines for an unsettling reason during Minnesotas game against Vegas, when he was struck near his right ear by a puck and taken to a local hospital by ambulance. It was a frightening scene for a player who has carved out a dependable NHL career with stops in both Minnesota and Colorado, where he was part of the Avalanches 2022 Stanley Cup championship team.
Wild coach John Hynes said Sturm was still being evaluated after the incident and would not travel with the team to Winnipeg for its next game. For Colorado fans who remember Sturm as one of the depth pieces in that title run, the immediate concern now is his condition and how long he might be sidelined after such a scary in-game moment. [Read more 🡒]
Patrick Roy Arrived And The Avalanche Were Never The Same
Patrick Roys arrival in Colorado came at a moment when the Avalanche were still finding their footing in their first season after moving from Quebec, and the trade instantly changed the shape of the franchise. He came over from Montreal on Dec. 6, 1995 and brought a championship pedigree to a team that suddenly looked far more dangerous in net, giving Colorado the kind of presence that can alter a season in real time.
The move was more than just a splashy addition, because Roys stay with the Avalanche turned into one of the defining stretches of the clubs early history. He helped lead Colorado to a Stanley Cup that same season and eventually finished his career with four titles before retiring in 2003, a reminder of how quickly one acquisition can become part of a teams identity. [Read more 🡒]