Deen's Daily
Deen’s Daily: Scary Injury at Avalanche Practice; Waiver-Palooza Is Coming

Erik Brannstrom suffered an injury during the Avalanche’s practice at Family Sports on Wednesday. The blueliner was sent hard into the boards by teammate Miles Wood while battling for the puck. Calvin de Haan and Wood got into just a little bit before cooler heads prevailed.
Several teammates tried to help Brannstrom up but he fell back to his knees before eventually being escorted off the ice. There was a stretcher waiting for him at the door which, thankfully, did not end up getting used.
Head coach Jared Bednar said after the skate that Brannstrom was working out on a bike and seemed fine after the collision. You never want to see injuries in general but especially in practice when it comes from your teammates. I’m sure Wood feels terrible about it. But, as we get closer to regular-season hockey, the intensity ramps up and so too does the possibility for something like this.
Brannstrom is one of Colorado’s eight defensemen that they’ll likely have on the roster for opening night. So we’ll see how things shake out over the weekend as it pertains to his health and if he’s one of the six that dresses on Oct. 9.
Erik Brannstrom went into the boards and a couple players got into it for a few seconds but when other players tried to help Brannstrom up, he fell right back down. A stretcher was ready outside the ice but he was escorted to the bench then taken off for examination. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/44hQNffG0S
— Colleen Flynn (@THNFlynn) October 2, 2024
Colorado Hockey Now
The Avs are in Vegas on Thursday for a rematch against the Golden Knights. They have 30 skaters remaining on their roster, of which 27 are healthy. Or maybe it’s 26 if Brannstrom is in fact hurt. Here are the remaining battles ahead of Monday’s deadline when rosters are due.
Around The NHL
Philadelphia Hockey Now: As rosters start to take shape, here’s a glance at what the Flyers roster could look like for opening night.
Boston Hockey Now: As Jeremy Swayman remains without a contract, the Boston Bruins got a head start on “waiver-palooza” on Wednesday, claiming a depth goalie from the Vancouver Canucks.
Waivers are often worth watching in the 48 hours leading up to Monday’s roster deadline. We often see a handful of claims made. The Bruins, of course, needed to get ahead as they are set to start the season with their No. 1 goalie.
Buffalo Hockey Now: Speaking of Swayman and where that deal may be headed, a division rival probably made the right choice locking their goalie up when they did.
San Jose Sharks Hockey Now: Sharks fans, management, and players all let out a heavy sigh of relief on Wednesday. Macklin Celebrini’s injury isn’t serious.