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BREAKING NEWS: Josh Manson Injury Forces Avalanche Into Unexpected Blue-Line Shakeup
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- BREAKING NEWS: Josh Manson Injury Forces Avalanche Into Unexpected Blue-Line Shakeup
DENVER —Josh Manson's eight-week absence is a significant blow to the Colorado Avalanche, but the timing of his injury makes it sting even more: Just as Jared Bednar appeared to find a defensive pairing that could unlock Sam Malinski, Colorado may be forced to reshuffle its blue line all over again.
Manson sustained the ankle injury during Wednesday's 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils. The veteran defenseman went down near Colorado's bench late in the first period, struggled to make his way off the ice and eventually needed assistance from a trainer to get down the tunnel. He did not return.
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Losing Manson for two months is difficult enough on its own. He's an important physical presence on Colorado's back end, and his absence will put more responsibility on the defensemen who remain. But there's another layer to this setback, particularly considering what Bednar had just started experimenting with.
Wednesday's matchup against New Jersey marked the first time Colorado deployed a pairing of Brent Burns and Malinski. Bednar made the adjustment because he wasn't satisfied with Malinski's recent play and believed Burns' communication could help the young defenseman find his game. As an experienced, vocal presence, Burns could give Malinski some added direction and confidence.
The move also came after the Burns-Manson pairing had started to look stale over the previous few games. A change seemed necessary, and the early returns were encouraging. Burns and Malinski looked comfortable together against the Devils, giving Colorado reason to believe the new combination could be worth sticking with.
Now, Manson's injury threatens to complicate that progress before the pairing has even had much time to develop.
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Depending on how Bednar chooses to distribute his defensemen, Malinski could find himself moving back alongside Brett Kulak. That combination has struggled to find consistency this season, making it less than ideal to revisit just as Malinski appeared to benefit from a change.
Noah Juulsen is the immediate replacement for Manson. Juulsen had been serving as Colorado's seventh defenseman, but with Manson sidelined for the next eight weeks, he'll likely step into the lineup and take on a more regular workload.
That creates another question for the Avalanche: Who fills the seventh-defenseman role while Juulsen takes on Manson's minutes? Colorado will need another option available in case of additional injuries or lineup changes, potentially opening the door for a call-up from the Colorado Eagles.
One factor Colorado will have to consider is the handedness of its defensive depth in the AHL. The Eagles' defensive group is largely made up of left-handed defensemen, leaving the Avalanche with limited right-shot options. Gustav Stjernberg is essentially the lone right-handed defenseman available in that group, making the decision a little more complicated.
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Given that lack of right-handed depth, it wouldn't be surprising if Colorado also took a close look at the waiver wire. The Avalanche may prefer to find an option with NHL experience rather than force a young defenseman into a role he's not quite ready to handle.
Stjernberg would certainly bring an interesting element to the conversation. He's an extremely physical defenseman whose style has drawn comparisons to former Detroit Red Wings blue-liner Niklas Kronwall, who was known for delivering devastating open-ice hits. That physical presence could be appealing with Manson out of the lineup. However, Stjernberg is still relatively unpolished, making an immediate jump to the NHL difficult to envision.
Middleton is another possibility for a call-up from the Colorado Eagles. If he gets the opportunity, Burns would likely be a natural fit alongside him. The two have spent considerable time training together during the offseason, giving them an existing level of familiarity.
Alex Gagné is another name worth considering for an NHL opportunity. At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, Gagné brings the kind of size Colorado could use with Manson sidelined while also offering some ability to move the puck. He recorded one goal and 12 assists in 58 regular-season games with the Eagles last season before adding three goals and two assists in 17 playoff appearances.
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Gagné also received an NHL call-up during the postseason, when he was brought up to provide insurance in case Cale Makar wasn't ready to return from his injury. That experience could give him an advantage over some of the other options, particularly if Colorado is looking for a defenseman who can provide size without sacrificing puck movement.
Neither scenario is necessarily what Colorado would have drawn up heading into the weekend. The Avalanche had just made a change that appeared to benefit Malinski while giving Burns a different look on the back end. Now, Manson's injury could force Bednar to start the process of finding another workable combination.
Bednar will have to get creative, and the next few games should offer a better indication of how Colorado plans to manage the vacancy. What had looked like a promising adjustment for Malinski could now become another lineup puzzle for an Avalanche blue line that was only beginning to find its footing.
