Avalanche Update: Nichushkin Skates, MacKinnon in Splash Shot Challenge

Most of the Colorado Avalanche are still on break, but the injured players continue to skate in Denver.

Bowen Byram was back on the ice on Wednesday afternoon with Kurtis MacDermid. This time, they were joined by Josh Manson, who has been out since early December with a lower body injury.

Both Byram and Manson look good, and are moving much better. A return does not seem far off, and it would not surprise me if both return to the lineup sometime next week when the Avalanche are back in game action, but then again, I’m not a doctor (hopefully this doesn’t surprise anyone). Things seem to be trending in the right direction, though.

Today, they were joined by Valeri Nichushkin.

Nichushkin missed the final two games before the All-Star break due to an upper body injury, and has missed a large portion of the year due to foot/ankle issues. He was a little late to the ice, but after working on his own, joined the other players for some drills.

Take a look at some videos from the skate. It’s a quiet news week around the Avalanche, so these will have to suffice.

MacKinnon to Take Part in Splash Shot Challenge

Sidney Crosby needs Nathan MacKinnon’s help at the All-Star game, and apparently will get it.

According to NHL Network’s Kevin Weekes, MacKinnon will team up with Crosby at the Skills Competition to take part in the Splash Shot challenge.

**Some @NHL All-Star News 📰 **
I’m told @penguins Crosby recruited his pal @Avalanche MacKinnon , and the two will team up in the new Skills Competition event ; The Splash Shot Challenge . @espn @NHLNetwork @TSNHockey @DKSportsbook #HockeyTwitter 🏒 🥅 🏝️.

— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) February 1, 2023

The Splash Shot Challenge will take place on the beach in Florida. It requires players to hit all targets before dunking their opponents. The first team to dunk their opponents wins.

The Skills competition will be held this Friday Feb. 3 at 5 PM MST. You can watch it on ESPN. The All-Star game itself takes place the next day.