Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche announced Tuesday that All-Star center Nathan MacKinnon won't play against the Calgary Flames because of an upper-body injury. 

Head coach Jared Bednar told reporters MacKinnon is going back to Denver for further evaluation and there is a "high" level of concern about the injury. 

Bednar added it is "possible" MacKinnon suffered the setback from a fight during Sunday's 3-2 loss against the Minnesota Wild. 

While the team is listing MacKinnon's injury as an upper-body issue, Mike Chambers of the Denver Post noted he could have hurt his hand in the fight. 

The skirmish occurred early in the third period when Wild defenseman Matt Dumba delivered a high hit near the head of Mikko Rantanen. MacKinnon dropped his gloves to defend his teammate. The two men traded a series of hard blows to the head, back and neck. 

MacKinnon and Dumba were both assessed five-minute major penalties, and there was no indication in the aftermath of the fight anything was wrong. MacKinnon came back into the game to finish the third period and overtime. 

Losing him for an extended period would be a huge blow for the Avs, though they lead the NHL with 98 points and 46 wins and have a comfortable 10-point lead over the Flames for the top seed in the Western Conference with 16 games remaining. 

Injuries have been an issue for MacKinnon this season. He missed eight games from Nov. 11 to Nov. 27 with a lower-body injury. The Canada native missed the All-Star festivities and four games from Jan. 28 to Feb. 10 with a concussion and facial fracture suffered on a hit by Taylor Hall of the Boston Bruins in a Jan. 26 win. 

MacKinnon ranks third on the team in assists (48), fourth in points (70) and fifth in goals (22). 

Colorado's offense will run through Nazem Kadri as it has all season. The 31-year-old is seventh in the league with 55 assists and is tied for eighth with 81 points in 63 games.     

After acquiring defenseman Josh Manson from the Anaheim Ducks on Monday, the Colorado Avalanche were reportedly not done.

According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, the Avalanche were still interested in pursuing Philadelphia Flyers center Claude Giroux as well as other forwards.

Giroux has been a team captain for the last 10 seasons and has spent his 15-year career with Philadelphia. The 34-year-old is in the final year of an eight-year contract.

The Flyers are last in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 18-30-11. Giroux, who has a no-trade clause, per CapFriendly, acknowledged Sunday that it will be up to him to decide if his time with the team is over.

"I didn't think I'd be put in the position to make a decision," Giroux said after a 4-3 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens. "It's been probably the worst year since I'm here. ... It's not in a position that I want to be in. Obviously, there's still some meetings and some things to talk about with the management and see what the game plan is not just for this year but for the future."

Giroux could play his 1,000th NHL game Thursday if he takes the ice for Philadelphia's matchup against the visiting Nashville Predators. He'd be the second player in franchise history to reach the mark, joining Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke.

Giroux is second on the team with 42 points (18 goals, 24 assists) in 56 games this season. He ranks fourth in the NHL with a winning percentage of 61.1 on faceoffs.

It appears the Colorado Avalanche are looking to make a significant acquisition ahead of the NHL trade deadline later this month. 

The Avalanche are reportedly one of the teams that have reached out to the Chicago Blackhawks to inquire about Patrick Kane, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. 

Pagnotta's comments come after NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Blackhawks had been receiving calls about Kane and his availability. 

Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson told reporters earlier this week that the franchise was headed for a rebuild. In that case, veteran players like Kane, Jonathan Toews and Marc-Andre Fleury could be traded. 

Davidson said:

We’re going to look at more of a rebuild here. There are some things that we really need to fix that are going to take time. We're not going to put a timeline on it, whether it's three, five [years], I don’t have that answer right now. That will be determined as we proceed.

But we really need to do this the right way and we're going to stick to the plan and take our time with it and make sure that when we get to where we want to go, then it was the result of a plan that was stuck to and not deviated from.

The Blackhawks have not been competitive over the last few seasons, failing to qualify for the playoffs in three of the last four years. In addition, the team hasn't made it past the first round since defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals. 

Kane is arguably Chicago's most valuable asset, so it should come as no surprise that the franchise might be open to moving him. The 2007 first-overall pick has been a consistent scorer through his 15 seasons with the Blackhawks. In 1,080 career games, he's tallied 421 goals and 722 assists for 1,143 points. 

This season, the 33-year-old has 17 goals and 38 assists in 51 games. His goals would be tied for fifth on the Avalanche, while his 55 points would be tied for fourth. 

There's no question Kane would be a perfect fit on a championship contender like the Avalanche. However, it's unclear what Colorado would have to give up in order to land the three-time Stanley Cup champion. 

It would likely take at least a first-round pick, plus solid young players and prospects for Chicago to give up Kane. With the Avalanche owning the league's best record at 40-11-4 (84 points), it's unlikely they'd want to shake up their current roster. 

Colorado would also have to be willing to take on the remainder of Kane's eight-year, $84 million contract. The veteran is under contract through the 2022-23 season with a $10.5 million cap hit. It's unclear how the Avalanche would make room to accommodate his deal. According to CapFriendly, the team currently has just more than $777,000 in cap space. 

While Kane's name is being thrown around, the four-time All-Star told reporters Wednesday that it would be an honor for him to finish his career in Chicago. However, he also acknowledged the business side of things. 

There's probably a lot of time to determine what's going to happen in that regard, but let's be honest. I love Chicago, I love the city, I love the fans, the organization's been amazing to me and my family.

I think there's always business decisions. In the game of hockey, there's not many guys that play their whole career with one team. So it would be a privilege and an honor to do that. But I guess we'll see how it all plays out.

The trade deadline isn't until March 21. So, Kane should at least have a little longer in Chicago before potentially saying goodbye. 

Caiden Shaw, a Boston Bruins fan and Denver resident, told Bayan Wang of Denver7 that three Colorado Avalanche fans physically attacked him and shouted anti-gay slurs at him after the Jan. 26 game between the Bruins and Avs in Denver. 

Colorado beat the visiting Bruins 4-3 in overtime at Ball Arena. Postgame, Shaw went to a bar adjacent to the rink, Brooklyn's at Ball Arena, where he says that three Avalanche fans approached him and appeared to start some friendly banter at first.

However, Shaw said the exchange then became more hostile, and the Avalanche fans began spouting "aggressive homophobic slurs."

Shaw says one man got into his face and shouted a slur. He says he nudged the man to create space.

"From there, they tackled me to the ground and were calling me f----t, gay," Shaw said. "My head was in my arms, and I was kind of in a ball while they were like kicking me and punching me."

Shaw said that he suffered knee injuries, knee and elbow bruises and a knot on the back of his head. He also revealed the emotional toll of the alleged attack.

"It makes me think back to that younger kid whenever I didn't want to come out to fully be myself, and the reasons why you don't do that, and these are why you're scared to," Shaw said.

The Denver Police Department told Wang its Bias Motivated Crime Unit is investigating and it's encouraging any witnesses to come forward.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon has reportedly been diagnosed with a broken nose after suffering the injury on a hit during his team's 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday, per ESPN's Emily Kaplan.

"He's still being evaluated and the team should have a better sense by the weekend of how long he will be out," Kaplan added.

During the first period, Bruins left wing Taylor Hall hit MacKinnon with his shoulder in the open ice. This caused the Avalanche forward's own stick to hit him in the face, resulting in the injury.

MacKinnon skated off the ice but did not return to the game.

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar told reporters that medical staff treated MacKinnon at Ball Arena before he went home. Bednar also reported that MacKinnon was feeling better and was set to undergo further evaluation Thursday.

Hall was initially assessed a five-minute major before going to the penalty box for a two-minute minor for interference upon the referee's review.

MacKinnon has nine goals and 34 assists for 43 points in 31 games for the 30-8-3 Avs, who are tied with the Florida Panthers for the most points in the league (63).

Sans MacKinnon, the Avs rolled with these lines against Boston, per Peter Baugh of The Athletic:

The Avs will presumably have to plan to be without one of their stars for the time being. Colorado's next game is scheduled for Friday at the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers have been shut down through the NHL's holiday break because of COVID-19 outbreaks within each club, the league announced Friday.

Calgary has already missed matchups with the Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators and Toronto Maple Leafs. It will also miss games against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Anaheim Ducks and Seattle Kraken.

Colorado's postponements are for games against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins, while Florida will miss contests against the Minnesota Wild, Blackhawks and Predators. 

The Flames have 19 players and 13 club employees in COVID-19 protocols. Five Avalanche players are in protocols, and the Panthers have seven, per ESPN's Kristen Shilton. 

Other NHL franchises are also experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks, including the Boston Bruins, whose matchup against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday was postponed. 

The NHL has mandated enhanced health and safety protocols amid the outbreaks across the league, including increased mask-wearing, virtual meetings and daily testing. 

ESPN's Emily Kaplan noted that the more games are postponed, the less likely NHL players will participate in the Winter Olympics. The league may need that time for makeup games.

NHL Players' Association Executive Director Don Fehr said last week that players are uncertain about participating in the Beijing Olympics because they haven't received definitive answers about COVID-19 protocols for the Games, per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. 

It's unclear if the NHL is considering a leaguewide shutdown given the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases. 

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Jacob MacDonald was stretchered off the ice during Sunday's game against the Florida Panthers.

The Avalanche announced MacDonald was "alert, responsive and has full movement" and undergoing further tests after the second-period hit from Panthers left-winger Ryan Lomberg.

The hit happened as MacDonald attempted to gather control of the puck and turn the corner. Lomberg unloaded with a relatively high hit, which caused a fight on the ice when the Avalanche took issue with it.

There was no penalty on the play despite the hard contact.

Sunday was MacDonald's seventh game of the season after he failed to register a single point in any of his first six games. He appeared in 33 games for the Avalanche last season and tallied nine points behind one goal and eight assists.

Lomberg entered play with six points on two goals and four assists after posting four points in 34 games last season.

Colorado was seen as a Stanley Cup contender at the start of the season and has largely put its slow start behind it with a 15-7-2 record thanks to three straight victories coming into Sunday's contest.

The Panthers entered play as one of the best teams in the league with an 18-4-4 record.        

The Colorado Avalanche's hopes of turning things around amid a slow start will be more difficult with Nathan MacKinnon expected to miss three weeks. 

Head coach Jared Bednar told reporters that MacKinnon will be out after he suffered a lower-body injury in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

Wednesday's announcement came after MacKinnon missed practice the day before. He was on the ice for 20:40 against the Blue Jackets, right in line with his season average (21:16). 

The Avalanche started the season without MacKinnon because of COVID-19 protocols. The 26-year-old missed the first two games before being cleared to return ahead of an Oct. 19 game against the Washington Capitals. 

A three-week time frame would put MacKinnon on track to potentially return Dec. 1.

After Colorado won a division title last season for the first time since 2013-14, expectations were high for the Avs. Yet they are off to a 4-5-1 start and rank sixth in the Central Division standings with nine points. 

MacKinnon is tied for the team lead with 10 points, but he only has one goal through eight games. The Canadian star has averaged 33.8 goals and 88.5 points per game over the past four seasons.

J.T. Compher and Nazem Kadri will likely lead Colorado's front-line offense until MacKinnon returns.    

Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon will miss the start of the regular season after testing positive for COVID-19.

Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic confirmed the diagnosis Tuesday, saying MacKinnon is asymptomatic but will miss the team's season opener against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.

The news came after the team announced MacKinnon missed Tuesday's practice because of the NHL's COVID-19 protocols. 

Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now reported in April that the entire Avalanche organization has been fully vaccinated. 

MacKinnon's positive test comes after the team announced last Thursday that head coach Jared Bednar had a positive COVID-19 test. 

MacKinnon's status for Saturday's home game against the St. Louis Blues is unclear, though Sakic told reporters they hope to have the 26-year-old back for that contest. 

Per NHL protocols for the 2021-22 season, players must return two negative tests 24 hours apart before they can be cleared to return. 

MacKinnon is entering his ninth season with the Avalanche. The Nova Scotia native was the No. 1 overall pick by the franchise in the 2013 NHL draft and has scored 560 points in 573 career games. 

The Avs have made the playoffs in each of the past four seasons. They won the West Division title in 2020-21, the franchise's first division championship since 2013-14.   

Gabriel Landeskog isn't going anywhere.

The Colorado Avalanche and Landeskog agreed to an eight-year, $56 million contract Tuesday, according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic.

Landeskog, 28, has been the picture of consistency for the Avalanche in his 10-year career, with 20 or more goals in eight seasons and 50 or more points in seven campaigns. He was a huge factor in the dangerous Avs registering 82 points this past season, tied with the Vegas Golden Knights for most in the NHL.

Losing the 2019 All-Star would have been a major blow for an Avalanche team looking to remain a force in the NHL.

"He's huge for this team. He's the team captain, the leader," Avs winger Andre Burakovsky told reporters in late May. "The way he played, the way he showed up for every game, that's a sign of a true leader."

"Every day he does the right things, he says the right things at the right time, and then the best part about it is he goes out and does it every single game," backup goalie Devan Dubnyk added. "That's the most important part. It's good to be good leader and say the right things, but when you got a guy that's saying things and then going out and doing it every single shift you can see the guys hop on his back and follow him."

And he'll keep doing the right things for the Avalanche for the foreseeable future after agreeing to a new deal.