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Evan Rodrigues

Avalanche Injury Notes: Makar, Rodrigues, Johnson

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The Colorado Avalanche will get a big boost to their lineup tonight, welcoming back defenseman Cale Makar as they take on the Arizona Coyotes, per The Athletic’s Peter Baugh.

Makar has been sidelined for the past two games with a lower-body injury and missed a combined nine games due to concussion protocols not too long before that. The 24-year-old Conn Smythe winner has once again been an all-world player for the Avalanche this year, recording 61 points in 55 games. With Makar back on the ice, Samuel Girard slides back down to a second-pairing role alongside Bowen Byram, giving Colorado its full complement of top-four defensemen.

There were more positive updates from Colorado practice today:

  • Forward Evan Rodrigues was practicing in a normal jersey on Friday, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, suggesting he could be close to returning to the lineup. Rodrigues missed the team’s last game while in concussion protocol and remains day-to-day. The 29-year-old has recorded 33 points in 58 games this season, his first with Colorado. While he’s not currently projected to play tonight against the Coyotes, he could return when Colorado heads to Arizona on Sunday.
  • Also according to Baugh, defenseman Erik Johnson is set to return tonight against the Coyotes after missing 18 games with a broken ankle. This is close to the healthiest Colorado’s defense has been all season, with now only Josh Manson missing from the fold. The 35-year-old will skate in a bottom-pairing role alongside Jack Johnson in his return to the lineup.

Evan Rodrigues In Concussion Protocol

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Bennett Durando of the Denver Post relays from head coach Jared Bednar that forward Evan Rodrigues has entered into concussion protocol. The injury came after receiving a hard hit from Chicago Blackhawks’ defenseman Connor Murphy in Monday night’s game.

Continuing on with their theme of the year, the defending Stanley Cup champions will lose another player to injury. Being without captain Gabriel Landeskog all season, the Colorado Avalanche also lost forward Artturi Lehkonen last week to a broken thumb. Seemingly unable to employ a healthy roster all season, the Avalanche will once again need to look to their depth to fill the gaps.

In his first season in Colorado, Rodrigues has fit very well into the team’s style of play. With his ability to play anywhere on offense, the forward has scored 14 goals and 19 assists so far this year with the Avalanche. Rodrigues has also seen a considerable amount of ice time on the team’s power play and is producing above-average possession numbers as well, earning a Corsi For % of 57.4.

Tied with the Minnesota Wild in points, the Avalanche sit only one point back of the division-leading Dallas Stars. With one game in hand on each team, the Avalanche looked poised to return to the Stanley Cup playoffs, but might ultimately be without some of their better offensive contributors this year.

Injury Notes: Rielly, Ehlers, Rodrigues

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Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Luke Fox of Sportsnet that Morgan Rielly’s return to the ice is “imminent,” though a return to game action is still quite a ways down the road. The veteran defenseman was ruled out in late November with an MCL sprain and placed on long-term injured reserve, which will hold him out through at least December 17.

In his absence, Toronto has actually had incredible defensive results, with Mark Giordano and Rasmus Sandin stepping into the vacated minutes on the left side. When he is able to return, it’s not clear exactly who will come out of the lineup, given Conor Timmins’ recent stretch of strong play as well. The Maple Leafs, who are expected to be without Jake Muzzin all year, suddenly seem to have quite a bit of defensive depth.

  • The Winnipeg Jets are in a similar situation with their forward group, which is scoring plenty without the services of Nikolaj Ehlers. The team has put up at least five goals in seven of their last ten games, with Mark Scheifele now up to 18 tallies on the year. Ehlers, who is working his way back from sports hernia surgery, was on the ice yesterday and could potentially return in two to three weeks, according to Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun. The 26-year-old forward had three points in his first two games of the season before going under the knife.
  • Evan Rodrigues, who hasn’t played since November 23, is “ready to go” for tonight’s Colorado Avalanche game. The Avalanche have struggled with injuries throughout the year but are starting to get healthy again and have won two in a row. Rodrigues, who was brought in on a one-year deal in the offseason, had six goals and nine points in 18 games before getting forced out of the lineup.

Artturi Lehkonen Returning To Colorado Avalanche Lineup

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After suffering a concussion on December 3rd, Colorado Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen is expected back in the lineup for this afternoon’s contest on the road in St. Louis against the Blues, says Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Lehkonen was never placed on IR with the injury, missing three games and seven days total. At last report on Thursday, the veteran had been placed in concussion protocol. According to Durando, Lehkonen will skate on the top line this afternoon alongside Mikko Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin.

Colorado’s injury woes this season have been well reported, the consistent and significant injuries sending the reigning Stanley Cup Champions into a fight for a playoff position even at the one-third mark of the season. After losing Nichushkin for over a month, the team then found out they’d be without perennial Hart Trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon for four weeks, only compounding the issue. Beyond just their stars, which also includes Gabriel Landeskog, who has yet to play this season, Colorado has lost a number of secondary and depth options for small and large portions of the season.

Lehkonen has been one of the bright spots for the Avalanche so far this season, recording seven goals and 11 assists through 22 games, well on his way to a career-year. The team will need him to keep that scoring pace up in order to do their best to navigate other injuries, like MacKinnon’s, but it’s not yet known what sort of lingering effect, if any, will come with the concussion.

Staying on the injury front, Durando adds that Darren Helm and Evan Rodrigues are not yet ready to return to the lineup. Helm, who has yet to play this season, has been close to returning and was even a possibility to play this weekend, but will clearly need to wait a little bit longer to make his season debut. Rodrigues hasn’t played since suffering a lower-body injury against the Vancouver Canucks back on November 23rd, but had been a bright spot amid the injuries, with nine points in his first 18 games for Colorado.

Snapshots: Mayfield, Rodrigues, Barkov

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Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield has been one of the better bargains in the league in recent seasons.  A bit of a late bloomer, he opted to take a five-year deal with a cap hit of just $1.45MM, giving him some much-desired stability in the process.  Since then, the 30-year-old has become an important part of their top four, logging nearly 20 minutes a night in a shutdown role.  A pending UFA, Mayfield is now well-positioned to potentially more than double that price tag on his next deal and he made it clear to Newsday’s Andrew Gross that his desire is to remain with New York.  The Isles already have over $73MM in commitments for next season per CapFriendly with a handful of roster spots to fill so they should have enough cap room to keep him in the fold unless GM Lou Lamoriello decides to shake things up next summer.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Avalanche forward Evan Rodrigues is officially listed as week to week but is expected to miss two to four weeks due to the lower-body injury sustained on Wednesday against Vancouver, relays Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link). The timeline won’t allow Colorado to transfer him onto LTIR to add to their pool unless the team learns that he will be out for the longer end of that timeline.  Rodrigues has been a useful addition this season as he has notched six goals and three assists through his first 18 games while spending some time both on the wing and down the middle.
  • Panthers center Aleksander Barkov is listed as a game-time decision for tonight’s game against St. Louis due to an illness, notes Colby Guy of Florida Hockey Now (Twitter link). Florida remains in a situation where they can only afford to carry the minimum number of players on their roster so if the captain isn’t able to play, they will once again have to dress only 17 skaters tonight.

Central Notes: Wild, Rossi, Rodrigues

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Minnesota has slowly shaken things up a bit in recent days with them waiving and losing Tyson Jost while adding Ryan Reaves in a trade yesterday.  However, when speaking with reporters including Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link), GM Bill Guerin acknowledged that he’s also on the lookout for scoring help although, at this time, the hope is that they can get more production from their current group.

Last season, the Wild ranked fifth in the NHL in goals with 310, or 3.78 per game.  While a lot of the roster is back from last year, the goal output hasn’t been as they are currently 25th in that regard with 55 in 19 games, or 2.89 per contest.  Thus far, they’ve been able to hang around the playoff race in the West due to a stingy defense that has also allowed just 55 goals so an offensive improvement from some of their veterans would certainly go a long way.  At the moment, Minnesota has just under $3.7MM in cap space to spend now, per CapFriendly, a number that jumps to $12.4MM on deadline day.  Accordingly, patience from Guerin makes a lot of sense here as by waiting, he’ll be able to afford a more impactful upgrade if he can’t get the improvement from within that he’s seeking.

More from the Central:

  • Also from Russo’s tweet, Guerin acknowledged that they’re in the process of determining if Marco Rossi should be sent down to the minors for a temporary stint. Things haven’t gone well for the 21-year-old center this season as he has just one assist in 16 games thus far.  Rossi had a strong rookie campaign with AHL Iowa last year that saw him put up 53 points in 63 games which helped him earn a full-time spot on the roster but after being scratched the last two games and Reaves being added to the roster, going back to the minors for now might be the best move even if it is a step back.
  • The news appears to be pretty good for Avalanche forward Evan Rodrigues. Head coach Jared Bednar told reporters including Peter Baugh of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the 29-year-old has a lower-body “tweak” but is feeling okay.  Rodrigues won’t accompany the team to Nashville for Friday’s game but it looks like he might not be out for too long.  He’s off to a nice start in his first season with Colorado with six goals and three assists in 18 games so far.

Morning Notes: Thanksgiving Standings, Sabres Injuries, Rodrigues

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A very happy Thanksgiving to all of our U.S. readers! Thanksgiving, in any country, is a date with great significance for many of the same reasons: a chance to reflect and be thankful. However, in the hockey world, Thanksgiving in the U.S. brings another note of significance: playoffs. Sure, it’s early, most teams playing somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 games, but history dictates that teams in the playoffs today are likely to be there after 82 games, and teams that are not, probably won’t be playing after their 82 are finished. In fact, Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards tweets that roughly 76% of teams in a playoff position on Thanksgiving keep it. So, it begs the question: which teams on the outside looking in today will make the playoffs?  And who might lose their spot?

In the Eastern Conference, the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Detroit Red Wings hold playoff positions in their respective divisions, with the New York Rangers holding the first Wild Card spot and the Tampa Bay Lightning tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second spot. In the West, the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights, Seattle Kraken, and Los Angeles Kings hold playoff positions in their respective divisions, with the Calgary Flames holding the first Wild Card spot, followed by a four-way tie for second place between the St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers, and Nashville Predators. Will the standings hold? Nick Alberga of The Leafs Nation points out, 12 of the 16 teams in playoff position this time last year ultimately clinched a berth.

  • The Buffalo Sabres should get a pair of wingers back shortly, says Bill Hoppe of the Buffalo Hockey Beat. Per Sabres head coach Don Granato, Rasmus Asplund, who’s listed as day-to-day may have been able to play last night, but given his physical style of play, it was better to let him continue to rest. Captain Kyle Okposo, who has missed the last six games with a lower-body injury, skated on his own Wednesday and is expected to join the team on Friday for their morning skate. After losing eight straight, the Sabres have now won two in a row. Getting their full lineup back on the ice should, hopefully, help them continue on this winning path.
  • Colorado Avalanche forward Evan Rodrigues left last night’s game early with what appeared to be a lower-body injury and was ultimately ruled out for the rest of the game. From Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar says Rodrigues will be further evaluated today. One of the newest members of the Avalanche, Rodrigues has fit in with Colorado nicely since coming over in free agency this summer, registering six goals and three assists in 18 games so far.

Avalanche Notes: Waivers, Newhook, Helm

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Saying the Colorado Avalanche have had a flurry of waiver-wire activity over the past couple of days surely wouldn’t make them unique; that would make them about a dime-a-dozen amongst other NHL clubs. However, their situation has created some buzz, and now we’re getting some clarity on it as well that not all teams necessarily provide. For one, as reported by Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater, former top prospects Shane Bowers and Martin Kaut, who were both placed on waivers yesterday, cleared and have been assigned to the Colorado Eagles of the AHL. Given the sheer number of players being placed on waivers this weekend, it’s not shocking that this pair would clear, especially given their lack of NHL success, however it was interesting to see the two placed on waivers given their former status as prospects and their still relatively young age (both are 23).

Turning to today’s waiver players, we noted earlier in today’s Waivers tracker that the Avalanche have put forwards Anton Blidh and Mikhail Maltsev on waivers. When head coach Jared Bednar met with the media, including Dater, earlier today, he shed some light on why that decision was made, indicating the two players were placed on waivers for “cap flexibility” purposes. That itself is not particularly surprising, considering that’s likely the reason for many waiver placements around the league right now, but Bednar did continue, saying that he felt Maltsev was “too quiet” in camp. The coach also added, without naming any specific names, “there’s a lot of guys that can ’play hockey.’ But we’re trying to win.”

  • For the most part, training camp is used as a time to decide who makes the roster, and for those who have already secured a spot, it may be about deciding where they play and what role(s) they occupy. That was set to be the case this camp for Avalanche center Alex Newhook, who appeared to be in line for the open second-line center job that was left vacant by Nazem Kadri who signed with the Calgary Flames. However, the team also inked veteran center Evan Rodrigues to a one-year, $2MM contract his offseason, giving Newhook formidable competition for the role. With camp in the rear-view and a focus on the regular season ahead, it seems as though the Avalanche have not made a concrete decision on who will occupy what role. Instead, Bednar told the media, including Dater, that he will give Newhook a real, everyday chance to win the job over “a couple of months.” The decision to essentially not make one, appears to make sense. Operating this way will not only to allow Colorado to evaluate team chemistry and see how Newhook’s development continues, but also to see where Rodrigues stands, who broke out with 43 points in 82 games last year.
  • On the injury front, Bednar said veteran forward Darren Helm likely won’t be able to play until “some time” early in the season. Helm, who played through an abdominal injury during Colorado’s Stanley Cup run last spring, is still recovering. A lack of a concrete timetable at this juncture is a bit concerning, however an early season return is nonetheless encouraging.

Colorado Avalanche Sign Evan Rodrigues

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It appears as though patience has paid off for Evan Rodrigues, who suddenly finds himself in an excellent situation. The free agent forward has signed a one-year, $2MM contract with the Colorado Avalanche, joining the reigning Stanley Cup champions just a few weeks before the season begins.

The Avalanche were one of the deepest forward groups in the lineup by the time the playoffs rolled around, but have watched the likes of Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky, Nico Sturm, and Nicolas Aube-Kubel all depart in free agency. While the team is driven by an outstanding group of defensemen and a handful of star forwards, it was that depth that made them so difficult to play against, as they iced four lines that could compete.

Rodrigues, 29, comes in at a relative discount after scoring 43 points last season and can help lengthen out that lineup again this season. The versatile forward can play center or wing, and while he likely can’t replace the offense that Kadri brought, he does enter a situation that may see him continue his breakout.

Last season the undrafted forward scored 19 goals while playing in all 82 games for the first time in his career, and while he did play a good chunk of his even-strength minutes with Sidney Crosby, that’s actually not where his production came from. In fact, Rodrigues didn’t score a single goal during the 318 5v5 minutes he played alongside the Penguins’ captain, instead doing much better with the likes of Kasperi Kapanen and Danton Heinen.

If he can continue to play that type of strong secondary scoring presence while a little further down the Colorado lineup, the Avalanche will continue to have that impressive depth that took them so far. It should be noted, however, that Rodrigues’ previous career-high was nine goals and 29 points – likely why teams weren’t willing to offer him a long-term contract this summer.

Latest On Zach Aston-Reese, Evan Rodrigues

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The calendar has now turned to September, only turning up the heat on both free agents looking for contracts and teams looking to fill roster holes ahead of training camp. A marginal salary cap increase over the past few seasons has made late-offseason moves tougher to make work, though, and it’s becoming more and more common to see situations get resolved at the last minute due to a lack of other options.

Two players who could be in that boat are a pair of former Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Zach Aston-Reese and Evan Rodrigues. Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s Dan Kingerski reported today that sources tell him both Aston-Reese and Rodrigues have interest and multiple offers from NHL teams but are “holding out for better situations.”  Kingerski named both the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks specifically as teams that have kicked tires on Rodrigues, which had been previously reported. He noted that Aston-Reese had interest from two or three NHL teams, but that the bottom-six utility player is looking for more offensive opportunities on his next team.

Kingerski also mentioned to a lesser degree, that veteran center Brian Boyle has an interest in returning to Pittsburgh, although there isn’t much space for him on the organizational depth chart.

Whichever team does sign Aston-Reese will be getting one of the most valuable bottom-six threats (if not the most valuable) still on the market. His career-high of 17 points may not jump off the page, but he’s made a name for himself as one of the top defensive players, at least analytically speaking, in recent years. The 28-year-old product of Staten Island was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks at this year’s trade deadline in the Rickard Rakell trade and had four points in 17 games during his brief stint as a Duck.

An obvious fit for Aston-Reese would be the Winnipeg Jets, who still have some cap space to burn after signing Sam Gagner earlier this week. The Jets have some weak bottom-six depth that would allow Aston-Reese to see some more offensive looks, and his services could help solidify a historically defensively inept team.

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