Avs practice notebook: New line combos, plus Ian Cole speaks

Well, Tyson Jost as a top-six forward? That’s’ over. At least, on Wednesday, it was.

The Avalanche’s second line at practice today had Nazem Kadri at center (looking fit and fast, by the way, after missing Monday’s practice with a sore foot) with Joonas Donskoi on the left side and Andre Burakovsky on the right.

Jost was the third-line center, flanked by Matt Nieto on the left and Colin Wilson on the right. J.T. Compher was not at practice, however.

And that’s why Jost was the third-line center and will be again Thursday night when the Avs resume their schedule with a 7 p.m. game against the 3-0-0 Boston Bruins.

Compher has not skated the past few days and won’t play Thursday because of a lower-body injury. Coach Jared Bednar was a bit vague on how long Compher might be out, but he did not portray the injury as being anything long-term.

So, the lines today were as follows:

Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen

Donskoi-Kadri-Burakovsky

Nieto-Jost-Wilson

Calvert-Bellemare-Nichushkin

Colin Wilson will, indeed, make a return to the lineup against the Bruins.

Ian Cole, by the way, probably won’t play tomorrow, but he is cleared to play again. Bednar said he still has not decided his full lineup for the game with Boston.

I asked Cole how the hell he was able to come back so fast – two months ahead of schedule and he said this:

“I had some great people working with me. Our trainers have been fantastic, and I have some good genes from my parents, apparently,” Cole said.

Asked if he feels a lot better after having the surgery on both hips, in May, Cole said:

“Way more range of motion. I could spend an hour going through the specifics of it, but yes, way better and hopefully way better for a very long period of time.”

I’ll have more in a bit, with an exclusive interview with Nazem Kadri