Snakebitten by injuries, Avalanche could get help soon

If the playoffs began today, the Colorado Avalanche — the reigning Stanley Cup champions — would be on the outside looking in. Colorado’s fall isn’t for a lack of talent and granted — losing Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky to free agency wasn’t exactly helpful — but instead the primary issues seem to fall squarely on injuries. The Avs have lost more than their fair share of players to injuries as they approach the one-third mark of the season, and just when things couldn’t seem to get worse, Nathan MacKinnon was ruled out for four weeks.

There could be some help coming soon, though, reports Brennan Vogt of Colorado Hockey Now, who spoke with Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar during his media availability. According to Bednar, forwards Darren Helm and Valeri Nichushkin could be available to play in Friday's game. 

Nichushkin, one of the team’s premier players, was off to a blistering start with 12 points in seven games before an injury sidelined him for 17 games. Helm, a veteran utility player, has yet to suit up for Colorado this year. But given the injuries the team has dealt with, getting his versatile presence back in the lineup could pay bigger dividends than it might seem. Also of note, Bednar disclosed that forward Artturi Lehkonen, who was injured in Colorado’s game on Saturday, is currently going through the concussion protocol.

Here are some more injury notes...

• During Thursday’s "Leafs Lunch" program on TSN Radio, Sports Illustrated’s David Alter called in to discuss a number of Toronto Maple Leafs notes, including the status of injured defenseman Morgan Rielly. Alter acknowledged an earlier report by TSN’s Darren Dreger, who believed Rielly’s timeline to be somewhere around four to six weeks, but he added that when he caught up with Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas recently, Toronto’s timeline was to the extent of the LTIR minimum duration: 24 days and 10 games. Alter adds that Rielly, who has been working out with the team, has not yet resumed skating. Thus, the earliest return date from LTIR, which would be on Dec. 17, seems very unlikely. Rielly has been dealing with an MCL injury suffered in a collision with New York Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri, who was also injured on the play,  on Nov. 21.
• The Athletic’s Eric Stephens writes that Anaheim Ducks defenseman John Klingberg will return to the lineup Friday after missing the previous seven games with a lower-body injury. Much like his Ducks, Klingberg has struggled to start this year. The offensive-minded defenseman has recorded just eight points in 20 games to go with a -12 rating, which itself isn’t too out-of-line compared to his recent seasons. Klingberg had signed a one-year, $7M deal with Anaheim this offseason with the idea that he could be dealt to a contender at the trade deadline and test the free-agent market again next summer, two things that are still on the table.
• Vegas Golden Knights winger Mark Stone was notably absent from practice. However, as Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports, this was simply a maintenance day. These sorts of absences are normal throughout the NHL, especially for veterans and players who are recently back from injury or dealing with a nagging issue, but given the extent of Stone’s recent injuries and his unrelenting style of play, it makes sense that an absence even like this one would sound an alarm for some. Since returning full-time for Vegas, Stone is back to his old ways, chipping in 21 points in 28 games to go with stellar defense.