Saturday night’s visit from the Toronto Maple Leafs brings a little extra familiarity to Ball Arena. Along with the usual opponent, the Avalanche will see two former fan favorites in Maple Leafs colors: defenseman Nick Blankenburg and forward Miles Wood.
Toronto enters the night trying to rebound from a 4-3 shootout loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in its previous game, and both former Avalanche players are part of that reset.
Blankenburg’s time in Colorado was brief, but he made it count. He stepped into a key role late in the season when injuries piled up on the blue line, and he quickly won over Avalanche fans. His most memorable moment came in the playoffs, when he scored against the Minnesota Wild to cap what was a strong run for the former Nashville Predator.
The Avalanche chose not to re-sign him this summer, and Blankenburg waited until the Maple Leafs came calling with a Professional Tryout (PTO). That eventually turned into a one-year, $1.4 million deal.
He may also have a chance to play on Saturday. Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been listed as day-to-day, and if he can’t go, Blankenburg would likely slide into Toronto’s third pairing.
Wood’s return to Colorado comes after a more complicated path.
He began the season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but it became clear they didn’t plan to keep him. He was placed on waivers at the end of training camp, and while there were teams interested in claiming him, his $2.5 million cap hit made the move a tougher sell for clubs looking for a fourth-line piece.
Wood cleared waivers and was left in limbo before Columbus and Toronto worked out a deal that required the Maple Leafs to take him on. Toronto then sent him to the minors, but a personal absence by John Tavares opened the door for a recall from the AHL.
Wood doesn’t appear likely to play, but he will be with the team in Denver. For him, it all sets up a Maple Leafs debut in the place where he once called home ice.
In Other News...
Avalanche Send An Early Message With One Defense Decision
Sam Malinskis start to the season has quickly become one of the more interesting roster storylines for the Avalanche, especially for a player who was such a steady presence a year ago. After playing every game last season and earning a four-year extension, he found himself on the outside looking in as Jared Bednar shuffled the blue line and gave Noah Juulsen a shot in a recent matchup with Calgary.
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 🡒]
Former Avalanche Forward Suddenly Has A Shot To Return At Ball Arena
Miles Woods path has taken another turn, and it could bring him right back to Ball Arena. Toronto recalled the forward from the AHLs Toronto Marlies, opening the door for him to potentially make his Maple Leafs debut against the Avalanche, the team he once suited up for before getting dealt away in the offseason move that brought him to the Leafs organization.
For Colorado fans, Woods name still carries a memorable playoff imprint after his overtime winner in Game 1 of the 2024 second-round series against Dallas. Now theres at least a chance he surfaces in Denver again, this time in a different sweater and in a different role than the one Avalanche supporters remember, with his Toronto debut still hanging in the balance. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Just Set Up A Goalie Decision That Could Open Space
Trent Miners path back to Colorados crease took a small step forward this week, with the depth goaltender fully recovered from the preseason injury that sidelined him to start the year and now exposed to waivers. For the Avalanche, its the kind of roster housekeeping that often goes unnoticed outside the room, but it can matter when a club is managing every last bit of flexibility around its goalie depth.
Miner is in the final season of his two-year, two-way deal, and the timing adds another layer to the decision. If he goes unclaimed by Sundays 1 p.m. CT waiver deadline, Colorado will move on from a little salary-cap baggage and keep sorting out its goaltending picture, while Miners status for the rest of the season will still carry some real stakes with free agency in view if he doesnt hit certain NHL thresholds. [Read more 🡒]