The Colorado Avalanche have dodged the kind of injury wave that can wreck a season, but they’ve still had to manage a few notable absences early in 2026-27. A couple players are already back, while others remain on the shelf as the team waits for clearer timelines.
Josh Manson was the first major setback. He went down early in Colorado’s win over the New Jersey Devils on October 28 after a hit attempt went wrong, leaving him twisted up and falling awkwardly.
A couple days later, Jared Bednar said Manson had suffered an ankle injury and would be out for eight weeks. That timetable puts his return in the middle of Colorado’s holiday break, so there’s at least a chance he could be back before the calendar turns to 2027 and the Winter Classic in Salt Lake City on New Year’s Eve.
Zach L’Heureux’s situation has been much less clear. The 23-year-old was suddenly unavailable in Dallas before the Avalanche won that game in the first half of a back-to-back, and the upper-body injury has remained something of a mystery.
Updates have been scarce, but the recovery has been described as slow, and he still hasn’t gotten on the ice to start rehab skating. Colorado placed him on LTIR on October 23, retroactive to his last game on October 10, which means he has already met the minimum 10-game and 24-day requirement.
Because he only appeared in three games and saw limited ice time, what comes next once he’s healthy is still unclear.
There is some good news for Colorado on the health front. Nic Roy and Logan O’Connor have both made it back into the lineup after early-season injuries.
O’Connor has dealt with both personal and injury issues that have interrupted his season, but after making his season debut on October 23 and getting five games under his belt, he should be able to keep building back toward form. Roy, meanwhile, missed six games in the middle of October before returning to the lineup on October 28.
In Other News...
Avalanche Are Facing A Bigger Problem Than One Overtime Loss
The Avalanche left Nashville with a point, but the 3-2 overtime loss to the Predators did little to ease the sense that they are still sorting through an uneven stretch early in the season. Colorado had a late power play chance to tilt the game its way and could not cash in, a missed opportunity that loomed even larger once the contest reached overtime.
Steven Stamkos finished it for Nashville on a four-on-three power play, and the result nudged Colorado to 9-6-2 while adding another reminder that the issues are bigger than one close loss. For a team trying to find its footing, the concern is not just the standings, but the way these tight games keep slipping away when the Avalanche need a cleaner finish. [Read more 🡒]
Former Avalanche Players Keep Turning Into Colorados Most Frustrating Problem
The Avalanche have spent this season running into a familiar nuisance: former players who seem to save some of their best work for Colorado. Ryan O'Reilly, Jack Drury, Ross Colton, Charlie Coyle, Valeri Nichushkin and goaltender Justus Annunen have all made meaningful contributions against their old club, piling up points, key saves and wins for their current teams in games that have repeatedly tilted the wrong way for Colorado.
It has become one of the more frustrating threads in the Avalanche's season, not just because of the individual damage, but because the pattern keeps resurfacing. Every time Colorado seems ready to move past it, another ex-Avalanche skates in and makes a noticeable impact, leaving the team to deal with a problem that feels as much about memory as matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Blue Line Is Forcing A Bigger Question Than Expected
Brett Kulak has become one of the more interesting pressure points on Colorados blue line, even if the numbers around him have not been especially flattering. His Corsi sits at 47 percent, and his expected goals impact has tilted negative, a sign the Avalanche have spent more time defending than theyd like when he is on the ice. For a team that usually wants to drive play from the back end, that kind of profile stands out, especially when it comes from a player they have leaned on anyway.
The broader concern is that Kulaks struggles are not happening in a vacuum. Josh Manson and Brent Burns have also had their own issues, leaving Colorado to sort through a defense group that has not quite settled into the form it needs. The Avalanche have continued to rely heavily on Kulak despite those challenges, and the bigger question now is whether that trust is a necessity, a short-term patch, or a sign the blue line still has more sorting out to do. [Read more 🡒]