Avalanche goaltender Trent Miner is back to full health, and that means he’s headed onto waivers.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Miner, who opened the season on IR after an undisclosed preseason injury, is now available after recovering and being ready to play again.
The 25-year-old has gotten a small taste of NHL work over the last two seasons, and his most recent stretch in Colorado went well. Miner appeared in four games for the Avalanche in 2025-26, putting up a 2.03 GAA and a .933 SV%. He won only once, but that victory was also his first career shutout at the top level.
Miner spent most of the year in the AHL with Colorado, where he played 32 games and finished 17-8-6 with a 2.62 GAA and a .904 SV%. His numbers were stronger the season before, when he went 22-10-6 with a 2.12 GAA and a .918 SV%.
He’s now in the final season of a two-year, two-way contract that pays $850K at the NHL level and $350K in the minors. Unless he gets into 22 NHL games this season - with at least 30 minutes played in each - he’ll be eligible for Group Six unrestricted free agency this summer.
Teams have until 1 PM CT on Sunday to put in a claim. If Miner clears, or if another club grabs him first, Colorado will shed a $168,229 dead cap charge tied to his NHL time last season. It’s a modest number, but it would still more than double the Avalanche’s current cap space.
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The move fit the message Bednar has been sending early: no one on the defense is locked into anything if the play is not there. Juulsens insertion came in a 7-3 win over the Flames, and while the Avalanche clearly like Malinskis long-term profile, his early struggles have opened the door to more competition than he has faced since establishing himself. For a team trying to settle its defensive mix, that is a reminder that recent performance can matter more than what happened last spring. [Read more 🡒]
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Blankenburg is the more interesting name to watch because Toronto may need him to step in after an injury to Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Wood is also back with the big club after a recent AHL recall, though he is not expected to play, which leaves one small lineup wrinkle still worth monitoring before puck drop. [Read more 🡒]
