Josh Manson’s eight-week absence is a major blow to the Colorado Avalanche, particularly as coach Jared Bednar was beginning to find a defensive pairing that could unlock Sam Malinski. Manson sustained the ankle injury during a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils after going down near the bench late in the first period.
Defensive Pairing Disruption
Losing Manson for two months places added responsibility on the remaining defensemen, while also disrupting Bednar’s recent tactical experiments. The matchup against New Jersey featured the debut pairing of Brent Burns and Malinski, an adjustment made because Bednar wanted Burns’ vocal leadership and experience to help Malinski rediscover his form after a stretch of inconsistent play. The previous Burns-Manson pairing had started to look stale, and the early returns with Malinski were encouraging before the injury interrupted their progress.
With Manson sidelined, Malinski could return to playing alongside Brett Kulak, a combination that has struggled for consistency this season. Noah Juulsen will step in as the immediate replacement for Manson, moving up from his role as the seventh defenseman to take on a regular workload. This promotion leaves the Avalanche needing to fill the seventh-defenseman role to guard against further injuries.
AHL Call-Up Options and Roster Decisions
Colorado faces limited right-handed depth in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles, as Gustav Stjernberg is essentially the lone right-handed option in a largely left-handed defensive group. Stjernberg offers a physical style reminiscent of Niklas Kronwall, but his unpolished game makes an immediate NHL jump unlikely, leading the Avalanche to potentially explore the waiver wire for a player with NHL experience.
Other candidates for a call-up from the Eagles include Middleton, who shares a strong familiarity with Burns from training together in the offseason, and Alex Gagné. Gagné offers size at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds alongside puck-moving ability, coming off a season with one goal and 12 assists in 58 regular-season games and three goals and two assists in 17 playoff appearances, plus previous postseason insurance experience.
The upcoming games will reveal how Bednar manages the defensive vacancy and navigates the sudden lineup puzzle created by Manson’s absence.
