Avalanche taking advantage of break to heal as they get set to play Knights in conference finals

The Colorado Avalanche are managing several injuries as they prepare for the NHL Western Conference Finals against the Vegas Golden Knights. Defensemen Cale Makar and Brent Burns, along with forward Artturi Lehkonen, were notably absent from practice, while defenseman Josh Manson warmed up briefly before leaving and Sam Malinski skated in a no-contact jersey. The Avalanche advanced from their second-round series against the Minnesota Wild in May 2026 but are using the break between rounds to allow players to recover.