The Colorado Avalanche are off to a fast start, and now they may be getting healthier to match it.
After opening the 2026-27 season with back-to-back wins over the Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues, a stretch in which they outscored those two teams 14-5, Colorado has received encouraging news on injured forward Logan O'Connor. Evan Rowal reported on X that O'Connor was recently seen in a full-contact jersey at practice, a strong sign that he could be nearing a return.
That would give head coach Jared Bednar another useful piece to work with, especially in the bottom six. O'Connor’s value goes beyond just filling a lineup spot - he can help on the penalty kill and can slide in alongside players such as Nicolas Roy. With O'Connor out, the Avalanche have had to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen, a setup they’ve already needed to use early in the season.
Colorado would prefer to be careful this early in the schedule, but starting the year with that kind of roster shuffling is hardly ideal, particularly against opponents viewed as potential playoff teams in the first two games.
There’s more positive injury news bubbling up, too. Forward Zachary L'Heureux, who has also been sidelined to start the season, appears to be moving closer to a return. The young forward was acquired from the Nashville Predators in the offseason and is looking for a fresh start after coming from a team that is not exactly a contender and will not threaten to be one soon to a Stanley Cup contender with much bigger goals.
If both O'Connor and L'Heureux are back soon, that gives the Avalanche a better chance to get through this early stretch with a fuller lineup. Colorado has three games on the calendar beginning October 7 in Winnipeg, with a matchup against the Jets on October 7, the Calgary Flames on October 8, and a home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 10.
Ideally for Bednar and company, O'Connor could be available against the Jets, and L'Heureux isn’t far behind. For a team that wants all hands on deck, the more bodies available, the better.
In Other News...
Matt Duchene Suffers Another Setback At Brutal Time For Dallas
Matt Duchenes latest setback lands at a rough time for Dallas and brings another layer of uncertainty to the early part of the season. The former Avalanche first-round pick has been placed on long-term injured reserve after suffering a lower-body injury in training camp, forcing the Stars to start the year without one of their most proven forwards.
Duchene, who spent nine seasons in Colorado before becoming a key piece in Dallas, led the Stars in scoring last season and was expected to remain a central part of their offense. Instead, he will miss at least 10 games and cannot return before Oct. 25, leaving Dallas to adjust its lineup while waiting on a player whose absence changes the look of the top end of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Top Line Is Creating A Problem Opponents Havent Solved
The Avalanche have barely gotten through the first week of the season, and already their top line looks like the sort of matchup problem opponents spend all night trying to solve. Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas and Artturi Lehkonen have each found ways to drive the attack, with MacKinnon setting the tone as a distributor and the other two finishing plenty of the chances that have followed.
It showed up most clearly in the 6-1 win over the Blues, when MacKinnon piled up three assists and Necas scored twice on his way to 50 goals with Colorado. Lehkonen has done his part too, chipping in with goals and assists, which gives the line a balanced look that is hard to key on for a full shift, let alone a full game. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Cannot Risk This Side Of Nathan MacKinnon
Nathan MacKinnon wasted no time setting a tone in the Avalanches first game of the season, dropping the gloves with Brandt Clarke and immediately putting one of Colorados biggest concerns back in the spotlight. It was the kind of early-season moment that can fire up a bench and energize a crowd, but it also served as a reminder of just how much rides on MacKinnon staying on the ice and out of harms way for a team built around his all-world ability.
For the Avalanche, the appeal of MacKinnons edge is obvious, but so is the danger of seeing their best player expose himself to the kind of contact that can change a season in one shift. In a league that still asks enforcers to absorb some of that physical burden, Colorado has to be careful about where those risks land, because the team can live with emotion - it cannot afford to lose its centerpiece to one needless fight. [Read more 🡒]