Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Avalanche Rumors

Avalanche’s Scott Wedgewood Leaves Due To Injury

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Colorado Avalanche announced mid-game that goaltender Scott Wedgewood will not return versus Vancouver due to an upper-body injury. It is not immediately clear what happened to the netminder, but given that he managed to complete the second period, hopefully his absence is cautionary, and the veteran will not need to miss any additional time. 

Wedgewood, 33, has been one of the top stories so far this season. In his first full season with Colorado, he has posted a remarkable 13-1-3 record, with a .921 save percentage and 2.08 goals-against-average. Such performance fetched himself a one-year extension, which was inked in mid-November. Although it is hard to ignore the strength of the team in front of him, Wedgewood has played at such a level as a backup with Arizona and Dallas in the past, as he and Colorado have been a perfect match.

Mackenzie Blackwood, another attainable goalie who flashed enough potential elsewhere to earn an envious position with the Avalanche, took over for the third period. Now, updates on Wedgewood will be watched closely, but given the recent play of the NHL’s top team, they will likely not miss a beat.

Avalanche’s Valeri Nichushkin Returning To Lineup

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Avalanche will have winger Valeri Nichushkin back in the lineup for tonight’s game against the Canucks, Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now reports. He was never placed on injured reserve, so no corresponding move is required.

While Nichushkin remains a core piece of Colorado’s top six forward group, the first-place Avs haven’t looked worse for wear without him. Since Nichushkin went down with a lower-body injury on Nov. 11, the Avs have gone 7-0-1 and still have a four-point gap on first place with an 18-1-6 record overall. Their first and only regulation loss came more than a month ago against the Bruins on Oct. 25.

Nichushkin was ruled week-to-week as a result of his injury, but it was clear in the past couple of days that his return was imminent. He’s no stranger to lengthy absences, notwithstanding his stints in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in the last few years. Ankle issues took out a good portion of his 2022-23 campaign, and he missed 21 games with a lower-body issue last year.

Still, the 10th overall pick back in 2013 has been an elite two-way presence since his big breakout with the Avs in 2021-22. In the five years since, he’s recorded a 96-102–198 scoring line in 226 games while averaging nearly 20 minutes per game. Among players with at least 100 appearances during that time, Nichushkin’s 0.86 points per game rank 58th and his +54 rating ranks 27th. His production has dipped since last season’s return from another stint in the program, though. He’s put up a more conservative 5-7–12 scoring line in 17 games this year and has churned out 0.77 points per game since the beginning of 2024-25.

Captain Gabriel Landeskog’s return from a multi-year absence has eaten into Nichushkin’s ice time this season, bringing it down to around the 18-minute mark. His reduced output should likely remain the expectation going forward, but that’s still spectacular value for his $6.125MM cap hit as he trods along through the fourth season of his eight-year deal. His line with Landeskog and Brock Nelson has been dominant at controlling play – as has virtually every line combo Colorado’s rolled out this year – controlling 60.7% of expected goals, per MoneyPuck.

Latest On Valeri Nichushkin

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Philadelphia Flyers announced mid game that forward Tyson Foerster will not return after sustaining an upper-body injury. The winger unloaded on a one-timer and immediately went down in a non-contact play, appearing to favor his shoulder. Although Foerster was on injured reserve earlier this season, it was a lower-body injury with no apparent correlation. 

Foerster, 23, was a great find at 23rd overall by the Flyers in 2020. The 6’2” winger has scored nine goals in 20 games, on track to take another step forward after last year’s 25 goal, 18 assist campaign where he appeared in 81 games. Especially as Philadelphia has found their stride of late, firmly in the Wild Card mix as of today, the hope will be that the top line forward will not be out for long. 

Elsewhere across the league:

  • Toronto Head Coach Craig Berube told David Alter of The Hockey News that defenseman Brandon Carlo had a setback in his recovery, and will return home to see a specialist. Placed on IR two weeks ago, the 29-year-old has been dealing with a lower-body injury. As he practiced in recent days, it appeared Carlo could be gearing up for a return tomorrow at Florida, before the setback. The towering blueliner’s struggles to acclimate to the Leafs have been well discussed, especially considering the steep package GM Brad Treliving gave up. Troy Stecher, claimed off waivers, has been a steady presence to alleviate pressure on Philippe Myers in Carlo’s absence, but if the Leafs are to turn their season around, Carlo must find his game when healthy.
  • Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar told Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports that forward Valeri Nichushkin is a “possibility” for tomorrow, as Colorado hosts Vancouver. The often injured 30-year-old went down with a lower-body ailment against the Ducks on November 12th and was listed as week-to-week. When ready, Nichushkin will likely jump right back into a top-six role where he had 12 points in 17 games before going down. In his absence, Ross Colton has filled in adequately and the team has not missed a beat, currently atop the league with just one regulation loss, a sign of their depth after a wildly successful roster shakeup. 

Ivan Sent Back To AHL

at CDT | by 5 Comments

  • Following their victory over Montreal on Saturday, the Avalanche announced (Twitter link) that they have returned forward Ivan Ivan to AHL Colorado. The 23-year-old got into three games after being recalled up earlier this week, picking up an assist while averaging 8:19 of ice time.  Ivan has played in 18 games in the minors with the Eagles this season, collecting two goals and four assists.

Nichushkin Could Return Saturday

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Avalanche could soon be getting a key player back in their lineup.  Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports relays (Twitter link) that winger Valeri Nichushkin was a full participant in practice today and while he won’t accompany the team on the road to play in Minnesota on Friday, he could return to the lineup Saturday versus Montreal.  The 30-year-old has missed the last two weeks due to a lower-body injury.  Nichushkin hadn’t been producing at quite the same rate as previous years in his first 17 outings this season but he still has five goals and seven assists to his name and should jump right back into a top-six role once he gets the green light.

Wedgewood Added To Canada's Eligibility List For Olympic Participation

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood has been added to Canada’s list for potential Olympic participation, reports TSN’s Darren Dreger (Twitter link).  It has been a breakout season for the 33-year-old who took on the starting job when Mackenzie Blackwood was injured to start the season and he hasn’t relinquished it.  Through 17 appearances, he has a 13-1-2 record with a 2.09 GAA and a .918 SV%.  While his international experience is also rather limited (just a World Juniors appearance in 2011), Wedgewood has certainly done well enough to warrant late consideration, especially with Canada’s goaltending group still in some question.

Avalanche Recall Ivan Ivan

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The Avalanche announced that they’ve recalled center Ivan Ivan from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. The team has two open roster spots, so they’ll be able to add him and activate Joel Kiviranta from injured reserve before tonight’s game against the Sharks without making a corresponding transaction.

Ivan, 23, went undrafted after wrapping up his junior career with the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Eagles and originally landed with Colorado on a minor-league deal in 2023. Amid a rookie season in which the Czech forward posted 12 goals and 31 points in 67 games for the Eagles, the Avalanche gave him an entry-level contract that made him eligible for a recall beginning with the 2024-25 campaign.

With the Avs’ injury struggles to begin last season, Ivan didn’t just get a recall – he spent nearly half the season up on the NHL roster before being sent back to the minors in late January, where he remained for the rest of the year. The 6’0″ pivot did well enough as a fourth-line piece as he was forced into action sooner in his development than anyone expected. In 40 appearances, he managed five goals and three assists for eight points while averaging 10:02 of ice time per game. A skilled shooter, he finished at a 14.7% clip and averaged 1.63 shot attempts per game. The Avs were outscored 14-12 in Ivan’s minutes at 5-on-5, but he managed to control 51.7% of shot attempts.

In the minors, though, Ivan hasn’t managed to recapture the offensive success he had during his rookie season. He had just two goals in 36 games for the Eagles last year and only has another pair through 18 appearances in 2025-26. After scoring 0.46 points per game as a rookie, Ivan’s 4-14–18 scoring line in 54 AHL games since is only good for 0.33 points per game.

Ivan should be ticketed to make his season debut tonight, though. His recall plus Kiviranta’s reinstatement give the Avs 12 healthy forwards for the San Jose game after reassigning Tristen Nielsen and Jason Polin to the Eagles earlier in the week. They’re expected to serve as Zakhar Bardakov’s wingmen on Colorado’s fourth line.

Avalanche To Activate Joel Kiviranta From Injured Reserve

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Avalanche have cleared left-winger Joel Kiviranta to play and expect to activate him from injured reserve before tomorrow’s game against the Sharks, head coach Jared Bednar told reporters (including Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now). The Avs had two open roster spots after reassigning Tristen Nielsen and Jason Polin to AHL Colorado yesterday, so no corresponding move is required.

Kiviranta has been out of commission since Oct. 16, having sustained a lower-body injury in the fifth game of the season. He’s back far earlier than anyone expected. Colorado only officially termed him out indefinitely, and multiple reports relayed the Avalanche initially weren’t expecting him back until after the New Year. Instead, he’ll be able to re-enter the lineup in under two months, an important feat for a team down three regular forwards in Gavin Brindley, Valeri Nichushkin, and Logan O’Connor.

The 29-year-old is now in his third season in Denver. He was initially brought in on a PTO in 2023 and was subsequently released to their AHL club, but they ended up signing him to an NHL contract in November. He’s signed two subsequent one-year deals to remain with the Avs. Last year was by far the best performance of the Finn’s seven-year NHL career. Usually cast as a dependable 13th forward, Kiviranta played all but three games for Colorado and scored a career-high 16 goals and 23 points, even working his way into top-nine minutes at times while finishing third on the team with 114 hits.

The return of captain Gabriel Landeskog to the lineup and the Avs’ offseason work meant Kiviranta was in for a reduced role this year, and his usage through five games reflected that. His ice time decreased from 12:31 per game last year to 10:47, and he was held without a point.

Even with Kiviranta back, the demotions of Nielsen and Polin mean they’re set to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen against San Jose unless they recall a forward tomorrow. He’ll be centered by Zakhar Bardakov while someone from the Avs’ top-nine double shifts on the opposite wing.

Colorado Avalanche Reassign Jason Polin, Tristen Nielsen

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Colorado Avalanche announced today that forwards Tristen Nielsen and Jason Polin have been reassigned to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles.

Polin was originally recalled to the Avalanche’s NHL roster on Nov. 21, while Nielsen was recalled on Nov. 20. Nielsen got into three games during this recall, while Polin drew into two.

The Avalanche did not surrender a goal in both games where Polin and Nielsen played, with Nielsen scoring his first NHL point during the team’s win over the Chicago Blackhawks yesterday.

Both Polin and Nielsen are undrafted forwards who have spent significant time in the AHL en route to becoming NHL call-up options. Nielsen began his pro career with the Abbotsford Canucks, and won the Calder Cup with the team in 2024-25.

Polin, 26, had a four-year college hockey career at Western Michigan University, where he starred as a senior, scoring 30 goals and 47 points in 39 games. Polin was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as a senior, and was his conference’s player of the year.

While neither player has fully established himself in the NHL to this point, (and their recent recall further underscores that), it’s clear they have at least earned the trust of the Avalanche to the point where they’ll be called on to fill NHL roles in instances where injuries hit.

This season doesn’t carry major financial implications for Nielsen, who remains under contract through 2026-27 at a $775K cap hit (with a two-way structure and total guarantee of $225K next season) it is, however, an important one for Polin. Polin is a pending unrestricted free agent who will have the opportunity in the summer to leave the only pro organization he’s ever known, assuming he does not sign an extension beforehand.

Polin is currently playing out a one-year, two-way contract carrying a league-minimum NHL cap hit and a $140K guarantee at the AHL level. AHL veterans have had some difficulty in recent years securing contracts to continue their career in the AHL due to the league’s development rule, which caps the number of players a team can dress for any game that have cleared a specific threshold of professional games played.

For Polin, this is where his extensive NCAA career comes in handy. By developing his game in the NCAA, he has limited his exposure to pro hockey, leaving him at this point with just 115 total pro games played. That gives him a solid amount of runway before teams will need to consider the AHL’s development rule when signing him, which should alleviate some of the pressure on him heading into an important unrestricted free agency.

Now back in the AHL thanks to this reassignment, it’ll be important for both Polin and Nielsen to continue playing well for the Eagles. Nielsen has nine goals and 14 points in 16 games this season, while Polin has six points through 16 games.

With other call-up options waiting in the wings, such as veterans Alex Barre-Boulet and T.J. Tynan, as well as younger contributors Ivan Ivan and Taylor Makar, it’ll be important for Nielsen and Polin to sustain their momentum in a crowded field of call-up options.

Sabres, Alexandar Georgiev Terminate Contract

at CDT | by 8 Comments

Nov. 24: Georgiev cleared unconditional waivers, per Friedman, meaning he’s had his contract with Buffalo terminated and is free to sign with Spartak.

Nov. 23: Insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet shared this afternoon that Sabres goaltender Alexander Georgiev has been waived with the intent of contract termination. Georgiev is set to move on to Russia and join Spartak of the KHL.

Georgiev was waived last month, then cleared and joined the AHL’s Rochester Americans. There, the Sabres affiliate had a wealth of goaltending, arguably at a legitimate NHL level, with Devon Levi alongside Georgiev, as well as prospect Topias Leinonen. Before the season, Buffalo had significant question marks in net with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen banged up, and the respectable but not exactly standout Alex Lyon tasked with holding things down.

As it has turned out, Lyon has performed steadily, and waiver pickup Colten Ellis has also exceeded expectations. There was no real path forward for Georgiev in the organization. The Bulgarian native played in two games for Rochester, both ending in losses with a 3.57 GAA. He now seems to be in greener pastures, joining a solid Spartak club, which has needed help in net, where he will be a star at the KHL level.

Originally undrafted out of the Finnish Liiga, an unusual path for most Russian players, Georgiev made an impression with the Rangers, who signed him in 2017. Making his NHL debut in 2018, Georgiev has the distinction of serving as backup for franchise icon Hendrik Lundqvist in his final season as a Ranger, gradually taking a higher workload. With the emergence of star Igor Shesterkin, though, Georgiev’s future in New York became uncertain.

After the 2021-22 season, Georgiev was dealt to the freshly minted Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche for draft picks in order to replace Darcy Kuemper. Georgiev emerged as a low-stakes, affordable option for a team strong enough up front to make up for any shortcomings in net. Sure enough, Georgiev posted his best season as a pro, leading the NHL with 40 wins and becoming an NHL All-Star.

Unfortunately for Georgiev, despite twice leading the league in wins, all while still remaining under 30 years old, Colorado quickly pulled the plug in 2024-25 amidst his shaky play. While unusual for a team to do so with a former All-Star, it appeared the success was largely driven due to the team in front of him. Georgiev was dealt to the hardcore rebuilding San Jose Sharks, where Colorado brought back Mackenzie Blackwood in return.

In the thick of an aggressive rebuild, getting heavily outshot most nights, Georgiev naturally did not have as much success in San Jose in a role that is especially tough on any goaltender. GM Mike Grier let his contract expire after 2024-25.

Georgiev was signed in September by Buffalo, with an opportunity to re-establish himself as an NHLer; however, with the emergence of other netminders in the organization, doors shut quickly. Still just 29, it is not impossible he could make an NHL return, but for now, Georgiev will likely be eager to return closer to home as a major standout player in the KHL.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top