Fans hoping to see Conor Timmins on the ice for the Colorado Avalanche at the upcoming Vegas Rookie Faceoff will be disappointed, as the team today announced that he is still experiencing concussion-like symptoms and will not take part in any on-ice activities. Timmins has been skating at some of the informal practices, but won’t be put in a competitive situation until his health clears up. Colorado AGM Craig Billington explained the situation:
Conor still has concussion-like symptoms. He has made a lot of progress throughout the summer and [we will] monitor that. He is in the proper protocol and procedure medically and we will just keep working with him.
Concussions are challenging to timeline but I know things have been progressing positively. It’s a good sign and we will go from there.
Timmins was also held off the ice at development camp earlier this offseason due to the concussion, that is believed to have been suffered in the OHL Finals. Timmins suffered a big check but returned to game five before missing the deciding game six, and has been sidelined since. Selected 32nd overall in 2017, there were some who believed Timmins would be battling for a full-time roster spot with the Avalanche this season given his impressive performance for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and at the World Junior Championship with Team Canada.
This doesn’t by any means indicate that Timmins will miss part of the season, but there may be a bigger appetite to start him slowly at the minor league level. Colorado has quite a few very good prospects in the system on the blue line, and Timmins is an important part of their future. His long-term health is the priority right now, and there is no reason to risk that for a rookie tournament in early September.
Not a good sign if this long after the season ends and no activity and he’s not good to go.