Avalanche Enter Opener Without Logan O’Connor or Zachary L’Heureux.
The Colorado Avalanche completed their final practice Tuesday at Ball Arena ahead of Wednesday night’s season opener against the Los Angeles Kings, but they will begin the regular season without forwards Logan O’Connor and Zachary L’Heureux. Both players remained out of practice after also missing Sunday’s session at Family Sports Center. Head coach Jared Bednar confirmed that neither forward will be available for the opener, leaving Colorado to use defenseman Noah Juulsen on the fourth line.
Expected lineup
Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
Gabriel Landeskog — Brock Nelson — Nazem Kadri
Jaden Schwartz — Fedor Svechkov — T.J. Hughes
Parker Kelly — Nicolas Roy — Noah Juulsen
Defense
Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Brett Kulak — Sam Malinski
Josh Manson — Brent Burns
Goaltenders
Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood
Special teams remain unchanged
Colorado kept the same power-play combinations used during Sunday’s practice.
The first unit featured Necas on the left side, MacKinnon on the right, Hughes in the middle and Landeskog in front of the net, with Makar working from the point. The second group had Nelson on the left side, Kadri on the right, Lehkonen in the middle, Schwartz near the crease and Toews at the point. The Avalanche also maintained their penalty-kill combinations, with Parker Kelly and Fedor Svechkov working together and Nicolas Roy joining Nelson. Other forward combinations were used as Colorado adjusts to the absences of O’Connor and L’Heureux. Both O’Connor and L’Heureux are expected to have roles on the penalty kill once they return. Colorado will open its regular season Wednesday night against the Kings at Ball Arena.
