Avalanche expanded playoff roster to include Shane Bowers, others

Shane Bowers, the former first-round pick acquired by the Colorado Avalanche as part of the Matt Duchene trade with Ottawa (and Nashville) will be on the Avalanche’s expanded playoff roster.

Other players who, as of now, are expected to be included on the expanded roster are:

Logan O’Connor, Jacob MacDonald, Anton Lindholm and goalies Adam Werner and Hunter Miska. The full roster is expected to be announced in the  coming days, and there could be another name or two added. Conor Timmins and Bo Byram have already been confirmed to be part of the expanded roster.

Avalanche training camp, for Phase 3 of the NHL’s Return to Play initiative, starts Monday at the Pepsi Center.

Bowers, who turns 21 later this month, got off to a slow start with the Colorado Eagles of the AHL this past season, but got better as the season went along. He finished with 10 goals and 27 points in 48 games. Bowers, a center, would likely only play in the postseason if injuries occur. As we saw with the Avs in the regular season, though, injuries did occur.

The Avalanche can have up to 30 skaters and an unlimited number of goalies take part in Phase 3 training camp. A maximum number of 52 people – players, coaches, management and staff – can travel to Edmonton for the playoffs, which are expected to start Aug. 1 at Rogers Place.

NHL players have until Monday to decide whether to opt out of the postseason, with no discipline or penalty. So far, not that I’ve heard anyway, no Avs players are among them.